PhD defence E.M.N. (Elena) Enseñado 

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation:

This research highlights the crucial role of city-to-city learning in shaping climate governance and fostering policy innovation. By developing a structured four-phase model—exploration, acquisition, application, and institutionalization—it shows that learning is not a linear transfer of knowledge, but an evolving, interdependent, and multi-layered process. When supported by enabling conditions operating at different levels, city-to-city learning can evolve from mere engagement to the institutionalization of climate policy.

At the same time, the study emphasizes that learning outcomes are not guaranteed. Engagement often progresses more quickly than acquisition, and individual learning does not always translate into organizational or systemic change. Furthermore, the transition from policy experimentation to institutionalization demonstrates the need to strengthen capacities at multiple levels—individual, organizational, and systemic—in order to sustain the learning process and ensure the long-term integration of new knowledge.

For practitioners, the findings underscore the importance of approaching city-to-city learning as a long-term investment rather than an ad hoc exchange. For scholars, there is a task to further refine the concept, innovate methodologically, and expand its geographical scope, so that the diversity of learning contexts can be better understood. Ultimately, the future of city-to-city learning lies in its ability to mobilize the diversity of urban experiences, foster collective problem-solving, and accelerate climate action.