The term "institutional response capacity" is a measurement for how effective political institutions may respond to threats and challenges such as climate change. This book provides a discussion of how to conduct climate politics by offering new perspectives on how social and political institutions are capable of responding to climate change.

Introduction Theresa Scavenius and Steve Rayner Part 1: Institutional Capacities and Democracy 1. Climate Change, Governance and Knowledge Nico Stehr and Alexander Ruser 2. The Institutional Capacity of Democracy Theresa Scavenius 3. Institutional Responsibility Jessica Nihlen Fahlquist Part 2: Response Capacity and Behavioural Change 4. The Double Gap Between Climate Values and Action Theresa Scavenius and Malene Rudolf Lindberg 5. The Social Contract for Climate Risks: Private and Public Responses W. Neil Adger, Tara Quinn, Irene Lorenzoni, and Conor Murphy 6. The Role of Civil Society in Adaptation Strategies Jens Hoff Part 3: Institutional Capacity in Society 7. Institutional Challenges of Climate Geoengineering Steve Rayner and Peter Healey 8. Post-Paris Long-term Climate Capacity: The Role of Universities Saleemul Huq and Naznin Nasir

Theresa Scavenius is an associate professor at the Department of Planning, University of Aalborg, Copenhagen, Denmark

Steve Rayner is James Martin Professor of Science and Civilization and Director of the Institute for Science, Innovation, and Society, University of Oxford, UK