Think tanks working on climate change governance

4 November 2011

The International Centre for Climate Change Governance has launched a Think Tank Map project to ‘map’ think tanks working in the field of climate change governance.

You can find other lists of think tanks in the Think Tanks List page of this blog but it is interesting that these subject specific lists are beginning to appear.

They offer a set of criteria for their inclusion:

In order to be included in the Think Tank Map, a research organisation must comply with the following main criteria:

  1. It must conduct both research and dissemination activities.
  2. The final objective of its activities must be a practical solution, not the simple definition of a problem.
  3. Policy makers and experts must be its main targets. The general public must be involved only as a means to influence policy makers.
  4. Its projects and partners list must be updated and well-defined.
  5. Its activities must be focused on climate change governance.

A think tank may offer consulting, but its main focus must be its own research. We do not consider as think tanks the organizations who conduct their research only on contract.

Interesting that they do not consider organisations who conduct research only on contract. Interesting too that they dismiss the definition of a problem as a valid objective for a think tank -since it is often this that is the necessary first step in any attempt to change anything. Is it because they believe that the ‘problem’ in climate change governance has already been defined and agreed on?

You can add think tanks if you think they qualify.