Empowered for action? Capacities and constraints in sub-state government climate action in Scotland and Wales

Sub-state governments have emerged as important sites of climate policy innovation, but their capacity for action has rarely been examined. This article focuses on examining the influence of constitutional power on climate policy ambition in two sub-state polities, Scotland and Wales. Although devolved regions within the same state, they have varying degrees of constitutional competence. The article conducts an inter- and intra-regional comparison to examine whether constitutional competence shapes the scale of ambition and achievement in climate policy outputs and outcomes. Focusing on emission reduction programmes, renewable energy and waste management, we find that while there is a clear relationship between constitutional capacity and policy ambition, it is more evident in the capacity to deliver than in the long-term goals. Other factors, such as civil society strength and the politics of territorial identity, also matter in shaping ambition, in spite of limitations in decision-making autonomy.