UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

Are local governments pursuing deeper systems change through sustainability governance? Analysis of seven Australian case studies

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2026.104651

Authors

Eleanor Robson

Reported year

2026

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.593332+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:05:49.203081+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Western Sydney University

Reported affiliation countries

AU

Documentary abstract — original language

Local governments (LGs) play a critical role in sustainability governance in Australia, yet few recent studies holistically examine whether and how LGs pursue deeper systemic change to address planetary challenges. This article addresses this gap through interviews with seven Australian LG case studies and three LG associations, analysed using Scoones et al.’s (2020) transformations framework outlining three major schools of thought: systemic, structural, and enabling approaches. The analysis found that proactive LGs predominantly employ reforming and systemic approaches, leveraging statutory responsibilities to increase ambition, resourcing and attention to environmental sustainability in governance. Case studies demonstrated efforts to transform internal processes and how they inform environmental outcomes; through enhanced resourcing, innovative monitoring frameworks, and cultural change, while influencing external sustainability outcomes in areas of LG authority. While most did not explicitly acknowledge pursuing deep systems change, their approaches imply significant commitment to environmental improvement within institutional, cultural, administrative and financial constraints. One LG experimented with structural approaches by challenging growth-based assumptions through Rights of Nature principles. While LGs occupy a liminal space being both part of, and separate to, their communities, one case study exemplified an enabling approach by supporting community-driven environmental visions and capacity. Engagement with Traditional Owners emerged as complex, spanning all transformation approaches while highlighting tensions between process-based and culturally transformative partnerships. Findings suggest LGs serve dual roles as agents and objects of transformative change but struggle to pursue deeper structural and enabling forms of transformation in their operating context. Public funding for LGs should be significantly increased to enable LGs to pursue sustainability governance as decoupled from a growth imperative for economic development. LGs should also be supported to develop skills and understanding of all levels and forms of systems change which is possible within, and by, their statutory obligations and roles and supported to learn from one another on how they are pursuing deeper systems change. Further research should seek to unearth LGs pursuing transformative sustainability governance approaches to develop empirical frameworks, pathways, and lessons on the requisites for others to also do so.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W7165679432

DOI

10.1016/j.geoforum.2026.104651

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2026.104651
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W7165679432

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Documentary status

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