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This paper describes and analyzes the Arte Baniwa project, a sustainable development project based on the production and commercialization of Baniwa indigenous basketwork with the support of the Instituto Socioambiental (ISA), a major NGO in Brazil. The project seeks to enhance the value of the Baniwa basket-making tradition, increase production within the limits of the sustainable use of natural resources, generate income for indigenous producers and their political associations, and train indigenous leadership in the skills of business management. The methodology encompasses a literature review on fair trade and builds upon ethnographic and participative research methods. The narrative and analysis of the case study comprise a framework that is two-fold: first, it looks at existing inter-organizational tiers between actors and identifies the presence of two different logics within the project; second, it encompasses the reality of many emerging fair trade initiatives in Brazil which harness market forces to pursue local sustainable development. The paper argues that ISA has acted as a boundary organization by communicating, translating and mediating between traditional (indigenous) knowledge and Western culture. By doing so, it was able to mobilize the project's capacity to promote sustainable development.

Cidades e áreas urbanas são vulneráveis aos impactos das mudanças climáticas. Governos locais e subnacionais desempenham um papel importante na implementação de políticas públicas de enfrentamento dessas mudanças. Referenciado no debate internacional, este artigo investiga os principais fatores que apoiam, limitam e facilitam a implementação de medidas de mitigação e adaptação às mudanças climáticas em áreas urbanas. Por meio da análise de 38 estudos de caso de diferentes regiões do mundo, busca-se ir além da análise de contextos específicos e realidades restritas, capturando o repertório de estratégias que vem sendo adotado por governos locais e subnacionais de países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento. Identificam-se três grupos de fatores que apoiam e limitam essas ações: recursos e capacidades; conhecimento e informação e instituições e governança.

Climate change poses not only a local place-based problem, but also cross- scale challenge. Addressing this unprecedented challenge requires actions at different levels (multilevel) raging from conventions and treaties at the global level to climate protection measures at the city level. The relationship between cities and climate change is usually based on a complex balance between vulnerability and responsibility. By mitigation cities can substantially reduce their environmental impact and consequently transform their infrastructure and the behavior and consumption patterns of their dwellers improving the global environment. By adaptation cities can become resilient to the impacts of climate change and reduce risks from climate change and variability. It is also particularly important to focus on global cities that are engines of economic growth, centers of innovation for the global economy and important areas of population concentration and growth. Building on that, this paper analyses the factors shaping climate policies in two global cities in Brazil through a multilevel perspective: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It explores how climate change is being framed and how local governments are responding to it in terms of policy strategies and instruments. We argue that the participation in transnational networks of subnational governments has been crucial for promoting and supporting climate change actions in both cities. However, the organization, steering and implementation of these measures rely heavily on a landscape formed by multiple actors with a variety of interests, capacities, and challenges often spanning several sectors. This fragmented landscape of actors, interests and sectors combined with structural governance problems pose significant challenges for the advancement of these efforts in the two cities. We discuss the governing of climate change action and analyze the factors that can constrain or undermine these actions.