Polycentric Carbon Pricing Governance: Cooperation, Contestation and Connectivity

2026-07-22

The PolyCarbon project’s objective is to uncover, investigate and understand the underlying mechanisms and conditions for the expansion and contraction of the global system of carbon pricing governance. It will (1) chart the entire global system of carbon pricing policies, (2) explain the causes of adoption and rejection of (ambitious) carbon pricing policies, and (3) analyse the interaction amongst the various carbon pricing policies globally. The global system of carbon pricing policies will become exponentially more effective as it expands since carbon leakage is reduced. Carefully crafted and ambitious carbon pricing policies can be powerful tools for transitioning to a low-carbon economy in the urgent pursuit of international climate goals. Understanding the underlying mechanisms and conditions for the expansion and contraction of the global system of carbon pricing governance can provide insights for fast-tracking its formation; thus, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. The PolyCarbon project will develop a novel analytical framework that captures the complexity of local and transnational processes and their interaction. This framework will guide the creation of a unique and expansive database of carbon pricing policies. The database will be used for a comprehensive multi-method analysis, combining qualitative network analysis and case studies.

Belgium

2026-02-01