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Abstract:
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Local climate action plans have become more prevalent in recent years yet information on their success is limited . While unlikely , on their own , to be able to mitigate enough carbon emissions to prevent catastrophic impacts of global temperature increase , local climate planning has the potential to play an important role in a number of key ways . Cities have traditionally exercised control in areas that have GHG abatement potential at low cost (e .g . building codes , land use , energy procurement ) and the total population represented by cities committed to GHG reduction efforts is not insignificant and continues to grow . The extent to which local climate plans can serve as a meaningful element in a larger (but currently woefully inadequate ) policy picture , will depend on their ability to set aggressive goals , dedicate resources , test innovative strategies , and measure progress systematically . Looking at the plans and progress reports of five U .S . cities , many have set aggressive goals and created innovative programs that could be replicated at other levels of government , but most are somewhat lacking in measuring and reporting progress metrics and financial resources committed to these efforts . For local climate planning to contribute significantly to broader climate policy , it will need to develop more rigorous progress metrics so the highest yield , lowest cost abatement strategies can be identified and advanced in other cities and at higher levels of government . |