LIST OF PANELS

This roundtable session discusses the role of “thermostatic institutions” in helping foster transformative change. Cashore and Howlett (2007) first conceptualized, and defined, thermostatic institutions as well entrenched systems of governing authority whose sole purpose is to maintain a clearly specified policy objective (just the way a house’s thermostat is designed to maintain a constant internal temperature). Drawing on the case of successful management of an endangered species, Cashore and Howlett

challenged extant characterizations of policy as either being in, or out, of equilibrium, to instead focused attention on what aspects of a policy elements were changing and which were being stable or “resilient”.

The discussion will focus on research agenda capable of uncovering, explaining, and prescribing thermostatic institutions with which to assist in managing the climate crisis. Our aim is to work towards building a research agenda aimed at documenting and understanding existing thermostatic institutions, with the goal of offering design principles to accelerate their development for climate related challenges.

This roundtable session discusses the role of “thermostatic institutions” in helping foster transformative change. Cashore and Howlett (2007) first conceptualized, and defined, thermostatic institutions as well entrenched systems of governing authority whose sole purpose is to maintain a clearly specified policy objective (just the way a house’s thermostat is designed to maintain a constant internal temperature). Drawing on the case of successful management of an endangered species, Cashore and Howlett

challenged extant characterizations of policy as either being in, or out, of equilibrium, to instead focused attention on what aspects of a policy elements were changing and which were being stable or “resilient”.

The discussion will focus on research agenda capable of uncovering, explaining, and prescribing thermostatic institutions with which to assist in managing the climate crisis. Our aim is to work towards building a research agenda aimed at documenting and understanding existing thermostatic institutions, with the goal of offering design principles to accelerate their development for climate related challenges.