Translating Climate Policy into Climate ActionGlobal heads of state will meet to (re)commit to climate policies at COP26 this week. But cities are continuing to drive climate policy independent of national policies. One example of this is the C40 network which includes 97 international cities committed to halve their emissions within a decade. These cities make up 25% of the global economy and house 700+ million people. New York City, as a member of the C40 network, has implemented dozens of policies to shift investments into greener buildings, cleaner energy, and electrified transportation. Smaller cities are also stepping up. Adelaide, Australia aims to be carbon neutral by 2025. How? The city will pay cash to home owners who install solar panels and batteries. And, Minneapolis’ 100% renewable electricity goal has driven investments in local and utility scale solar. But many cities are hesitant to set climate goals without federal investments. Without the hope of attracting large-scale federal dollars, these cities are stuck with either antiquated infrastructure systems that won’t support new climate technology or state-wide policies that prevent renewable energy production. In the United States, these cities have waited for federal investments into clean energy that will translate climate policy into climate action. Hopefully, we see the US make new climate commitments this week. If that happens, federal dollars will catalyze new projects that will slash carbon emissions, help slow climate change, and take a major step towards building better cities.
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