This chapter analyzes the regional and sectoral differences in how cities and municipalities engage in climate change networks. Over the past 20 years, an increasing number of cities, regions, companies, investors, and other non-state and subnational actors have voluntarily committed to reducing their GHG emissions. Such actions could help reduce the implementation gap. Along with the increase in commitments and the growing number of venues through which non-state actors can cooperate in order to govern climate change, it is necessary to track and evaluate such efforts. This chapter assesses the voluntary commitments made by Swedish municipalities, regions and multistakeholder partnerships to decarbonize by reducing GHG emissions. It finds large differences in which cities and municipalities that engage in networks. Large and urban municipalities in the south and along the eastern coast are well represented, whereas more rural municipalities along the Norwegian border are less represented in the data. The findings are discussed in terms of climate justice, highlighting the importance of having everyone onboard to create acceptance and reduce inequality in the transformation toward decarbonization.

This chapter explores philanthropic partnership best practices in the post-COVID-19 world and provides insights and practical tools to identify and effectively advocate for partnerships. Historically, the philanthropic sector in the Global South has been largely siloed, with only a few foundations working together and even fewer engaged in multi-sectoral collaborations. In the case of public-private partnerships, one often hears sentiments like ‘governments are bureaucratic and they will slow us down’ or ‘businesses don’t really care about social impact projects’. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed that such silos created many of the systemic issues philanthropic foundations now face. The COVID-19 crisis will have a profound impact on philanthropy through forging more active collaboration and ensuring more equitable responses. As multiple sector experts have pointed out, the scale and the urgency of the pandemic have prompted philanthropists to engage in more active collaboration, not only with businesses and government but also with each other. This chapter shares the key elements of a successful partnership from coordinated planning to clear identification of the problem that needs to be solved. It shares ideas around the collaborative definition of success, how to measure social-impact performance, and how to align interests, values, and goals. The chapter argues that there is a critical need for clear roles and responsibilities such that each stakeholder’s strengths can be leveraged, and it emphasises the importance of transparency and continuous communication.

This chapter looks at the extent of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa, policy and implementation gaps, and the role of multi-party stakeholder partnerships, including the contribution of the Vodacom Foundation, in fighting this gross human rights violation. The chapter outlines how the Foundation’s contribution to the fight against GBV has evolved into a resilient ecosystem that supports prevention, response, and victim and survivor empowerment through partnerships and mainly using information communication technologies (ICTs). GBV is one of the gross human rights violations globally which spiralled during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is defined by the United Nations (UN) as harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. South Africa, which is a constitutional democracy founded on the values of human rights and human dignity, has some of the highest levels of GBV in the world, leading the country’s president to declare GBV the second pandemic. As the chapter tracks the evolution of the ecosystem, it also shares how the Foundation has started transforming the relationship with its partner civil society organisations (CSOs) into mutually beneficial partnerships, thereby demonstrating that big business can do more than just generate revenues and can be a formidable partner to address societal ills and help strengthen civil society. The chapter explains how governments, CSOs, and big business can build strong and sustainable multi-party partnerships as a catalyst to addressing societal challenges.