Climate change is one of the most challenging global issues of our time. It is also a profoundly local issue. Cities can create innovative responses to climate change and, as key sites in the production and management of greenhouse gas emissions, will be crucial for the implementation of international agreements and national policies. This book provides a critical analysis of the role of cities in addressing climate change and the prospects for urban sustainability.
*Part I considers how global environmental governance and urban sustainability can be conceptualized, and argues for an approach which recognizes the multilevel nature of governance. It outlines international and national responses to climate change, and documents evidence for local responses to climate change, examining in detail the transnational Cities for Climate Protection network.
*Part II presents a series of case-studies drawn from this network in the UK, US, and Australia. Each case-study examines the development and implementation of local climate change policy, focusing on the sectors of energy conservation, planning and transport.
*Part III compares the experience of the case-study cities in addressing climate change and assesses the implications of these findings for urban sustainability and global environmental governance.
Cities and Climate Change is the first in-depth and interdisciplinary analysis of the role of cities in addressing climate change and illustrates the multi-level nature of climate change governance. It argues that the formation and implementation of local climate change policy has been limited by the resources and powers of local government, and by conflicts between economic and environmental objectives. As cities are critical arenas for the pursuit of sustainable development, these findings have significant implications for the prospects of mitigating climate change and achieving urban sustainability.