Homeland Economics & Climate Change: The Need for Localized Sustainability Strategies<i></i>
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This paper critically examines the limitations of “homeland economics”—a protectionist response to globalization that prioritizes national industrial policy and economic sovereignty—arguing that it falls short in addressing the complex challenges of climate change, inequality, and sustainable development. Utilizing the Five R Governance Capabilities framework (reflexivity, resilience, responsiveness, revitalization, and rescaling), this study analyses the climate action and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) implementation strategies of six countries: France, Uganda, Nigeria, Uruguay, Nepal, and Indonesia. The findings reveal that countries which empower local institutions and adopt adaptive, multi-level governance are more effective in advancing sustainability goals. In contrast, homeland economics often reinforces top-down, siloed approaches that weaken cross-sectoral integration and international cooperation. The paper underscores the pivotal role of local institutions in fostering context-sensitive, community-based climate solutions—such as Nepal’s Climate-Smart Villages and Indonesia’s ProKlim program—which enhance resilience, participation, and implementation capacity at the ground level. It calls for multidimensional, cross-scale strategies that move beyond business-as-usual approaches to achieve the 2030 Agenda and ensure equitable, climate-resilient development.