Climate Governance and sustainable development: Rethinking policy responses for a resilient future

Authors

  • Sultan Mahmood PhD Advisor, Environment & Climate Change, EcoCare Consultancy Services, Pvt. Ltd, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan Author
  • Wajahat Hussain Masters Student, RUDN Institute OF Environmental Engineering, Specialization ‘’ Ecology and Nature Management, People’s Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) Author
  • Zainab Ranjha Author

Keywords:

Climate Governance, Institutional Resilience, Policy Effectiveness, Sustainable Development, Sustainability, Transparency

Abstract

This research focused on the studies regarding the role of climate governance, policy effectiveness, and institutional resilience in sustainable development. A quantitative research technique was chosen, which involved a structured questionnaire administered to 350 respondents from different institutions (NGOs, private sector, academic institutions, and government institutions) active in the climate and sustainability sectors, drawn using simple random sampling. The data were analyzed descriptively, with reliability, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression in SPSS Version 27. The reliability test showed good internal consistency in this study, ranging from 0.876 to 0.918 Cronbach's α. The descriptive statistics showed positive perceptions of all the variables studied, ranging from 4.09 to 4.26. The research found that all factors of climate governance, policy effectiveness, institutional resilience, as well sustainable development, showed positive correlations with each other (ranging from 0.653 to 0.781; p < 0.01), as obtained through correlation analysis. Multiple regression analysis revealed that climate governance (β = 0.352, p < 0.001), policy effectiveness (β = 0.291, p < 0.001), and institutional resilience (β = 0.334, p < 0.001) are significant determinants of sustainable development. The regression model explained 74.3% of the variance in sustainable development (R² = 0.743; F = 334.58; p < 0.001). The study attributes high governance quality and good governance performance, through policy enforcement and institutional strengthening, to high sustainable development outcomes. It concludes that these three play significant roles in supporting sustainable development. The results are relevant to policymakers who are interested in strengthening Climate Governance mechanisms for a sustainable future.

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References

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2026-08-08

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Mahmood, S., Hussain, W., & Ranjha, Z. (2026). Climate Governance and sustainable development: Rethinking policy responses for a resilient future. Journal of Climate and Community Development, 5(2), 60-75. https://joccd.com/index.php/joccd/article/view/127