Metagoverning the Interdependence of Municipalities and Mining Companies in the Scandinavian Arctic

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to investigate how three Arctic municipalities affected by mining projects use metagovernance tools to explore, construct and manage interdependent relations with mining companies. The existence of interdependency is a basic premise of governance networks. However, the current debates about governance networks have paid scant attention to how such interdependency actually comes into existence and how network participants can maintain interdependent relations over time. The chapter highlights the differences between the strategies employed by the three municipalities. While two of them resort to highly interventionist methods and participate actively in the dominant governance networks, the third municipality mainly applies hands-off strategies focused on facilitation. The findings show that interdependency is a multifaceted and changeable phenomenon, which different parties can construct and manipulate. In order to do so, institutional designs that facilitate negotiated interaction between the parties are important. The parties must meet in order to explore win-win opportunities. These insights contribute to a better understanding of how municipal actors can contribute to more sustainable development in local communities hosting mining projects.