The Art of City Climate Action
Cities are playing a vital role in the global response to climate change by curbing their greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the effects of a changing climate. Local governments are central to these efforts. They lead climate action by framing strategies and programmes, integrating such actions into ongoing urban development, and forging the partnerships necessary for effective climate responses.
Cities are making steps towards achieving their visions for socio-economic development while addressing the climate challenge. Yet achieving such outcomes can be demanding. Climate action planning provides city governments and their partners with strategic direction, new ideas, tools, and a community of practice to address climate change while meeting other long-term goals such as socio-economic development and environmental protection.
First among the principles is a call for cities to be ambitious in their climate action planning. Climate action planning should reflect the urgency an scale of the climate change. To help avoid catastrophic levels of global warming, local mitigation targets should contribute to the global emission reduction target and corresponding national commitments. Likewise when building resilience local stakeholders and decision-makers should bear in mind that a changing climate will lead to changes in weather patterns, and can result in unprecedentedly extreme weather events and other impacts. They should research the impacts of such changes that are expected locally and plan accordingly.
As I state before, city should strive ambitiously to fight against climate change. Setting goals and implementing actions that evolve iteratively towards an ambitious vision. After that, cities should inclusive. It means involving multiple city government departments, stakeholders and communities. Strategy should be fair, seeking solutions that equitably address the risks of climate and share the costs and benefits of action across the city.
Comprehensive and integrated also becomes great aspect. Coherently undertaking adaptation and mitigation actions across a range of sectors within the city, as well as supporting broader regional initiatives and the realization of priorities of higher levels of government when possible and appropriate. Relevant also becomes important aspect. How cities delivering local benefits and supporting local development priorities. Of course, actionable is the next step. Cities should propose cost-effective actions that can realistically be implemented by the actors involved, given local mandates, finances, and capacities.
Reflecting scientific knowledge and local understanding, and using assessments of vulnerability and emissions and other empirical inputs to inform decision-making is an evidence-based aspect. The last part to make city of climate action implemented well is transparent and verifiable. It means government should follow an open decision-making process, and setting goals that can be measured, reported, independently verified, and evaluated.
Climate change action planning is often, but not only, led by city governments. Effective climate action planning inclusively engages multiple agencies, economic actors and community stakeholders. Such processes encompass a broad array of perspectives and interests, both within the city government and the larger community. This helps to ensure that the plan is relevant, meeting a range of community goals with broad-based support for implementation. Inclusive stakeholder engagement can also generate ownership, encourage cross-sectoral collaboration, spark complementary action, increase awareness, and build capacity.
Climate action planning needs vigorous leadership to succeed. In some city governments a strong endorsement from the mayor is essential to catalysing action, while others benefit from active engagement from senior management-in other words a “champion”. Support from key private sector and non-governmental stakeholders can be vital. “Bottom up” leadership from proactive civil society groups can also galvanize city-scale climate action.
As Sean O’Donoghue — Manager, Climate Protection Branch, Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Department, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa — states that the public has got to, effectively, be the plan, because without them living the plan it won’t go anywhere. Cities also need to involve the society.
The goals for public participation should be agreed upon at the start of the city climate action planning process. These goals and plans set out who should participate and how their participation will impact the process, e.g. by informing, consulting, involving, collaborating, or empowering. Goals and plans should be adapted as new stakeholders are identified that need to be involved and better means of engagement are identified. The process of participation should be monitored in a transparent way, with feedback given to participants throughout the process.
