Institutional framework and urban governance for Low Carbon City development at local government level

Malaysia’s government emphasises achieving Low Carbon City status by 2050, and therefore, cities under several local authorities now endeavour and are committed to achieving the government’s target. Despite that, the government is facing challenges in implementing the Low Carbon City (LCC) approach, particularly at the bottom-level implementer. Hence, to ensure a more effective process in the delivery of LCC initiatives, there is an urgency to address the issues by empowering the institutional framework for LCC delivery practices. Significantly, this research aims to formulate an institutional framework as an urban governance approach to administer the LCC delivery at the local government level. Three (3) objectives were established to look at (i) existing governance in administering the LCC approach at the local authority; (ii) the current delivery practices of the LCC initiatives at the local level; and (iii) propose a comprehensive governance institutional framework for low-carbon delivery at the local government. The research consists of two (2) main local authorities in Selangor, as targeted by the government to attain the status by 2050, as well as due to their progress in achieving the LCC status. A multiple-case study approach was applied, using Shah Alam City Council and Subang Jaya City Council as the case studies. The method used to collect the data comes from a qualitative approach, whereas an expert interview was conducted with Eleven (11) experts from various agencies to gain insight from two (2) notions: local authorities and stakeholders’ perspectives. The Focus Group Discussion was conducted involving eighteen (18) participants who represent the authorities, internal and external agencies related to low carbon initiatives, private sectors, including developers and industrial consultants, and community representatives. Results from the Delphi Method indicate participation from ten (10) local authorities selected through Groups 1 and 2 of the National Low-Carbon City Master Plan. All the data were then analysed using qualitative analysis techniques through thematic analysis. The results exhibit that the low-carbon city approach was governed at the local government level through the existence of a Sustainable Unit under the Planning Department. The research found that the existing organisational setting affects the effectiveness of low-carbon governance primarily due to the limited jurisdiction and inaccurate unit placement. Moreover, the absence of legal impulsion stimulates the governance of a low-carbon city and determines the priorities of its administrative approach. Meanwhile, the current delivery practice elucidated that local authorities act as mediators by integrating the national policies and local initiatives into the climate action plan as a delivery tool. However, the absence of a centralised data management approach undermines the effectiveness of public-private partnerships in implementing low-carbon initiatives. Through the institutional frameworks, it is fundamental to redesign the organisational structure to enhance coordination, clear jurisdiction, proper allocation of responsibility, and strengthen it through a legal framework, hence allowing efficiency in the decision-making process. It is expected that this research will be able to unveil the fundamentals of low-carbon city governance, particularly at the local government level, to enhance the current practices, hence meeting the government target and adhering to the national plan to improve the LCC delivery practices.