Citizen preferences for climate policy implementation: the role of multistakeholder partnerships

Abstract Multistakeholder partnerships (MSPs) have been advocated as new global governance mechanisms that could address implementation and emission gaps. Yet, there is limited knowledge of how citizens evaluate MSPs as means to policy implementation, especially in comparison with governance arrangements led by traditional actors like governments and corporations. This study examines how citizens evaluate climate policy proposals involving MSPs. Does it matter for citizens who are implementing policies? If so, do citizens prefer policies implemented by MSPs or other actors, such as governments or private companies? We argue that citizens are more likely to show support for climate policies that are implemented by MSPs than for policies implemented by single actors such as governments and business. To test our expectations, we conduct a population-based conjoint survey experiment fielded to over 6000 respondents in Brazil, the UK, and the US. Our main findings are three-fold. First, in line with our expectation, we find that citizens have greater support for global climate policies if they are implemented by MSPs rather than by governments or the private sector. Second, we find that support for MSPs in the implementation of climate policies is stronger among citizens who support collaboration between different societal actors. Third, we find that citizens – regardless of their political ideology, attitudes to the environment, and confidence in their government – prefer climate policies implemented by MSPs. In addition to these results, we also find that citizens generally prefer highly ambitious and cost-effective climate policy proposals. We conclude by providing some substantial implications for our understanding of MSPs.