Managing a low urban emissions world

Abstract

We have largely ignored serious organization issues blocking urban greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Most urban climate measures treat decision-making as a black box where sensible solutions are simply implemented. We need to re-examine decision-making assumptions about how city governments and businesses actually collaborate and whether current plans are credible. Significant constraints affect both groups and also limit citizens’ abilities to effectively shape policies and investments. These problems can be addressed by creating a trusted, professional, independent organization to drive innovation and implementation to reduce emissions and moderate urban inequality. This “Lowering Emissions Economy Partnership (LEEP)” can be jointly owned by stakeholders who could pool investments and recover a share of the large resource savings this approach will create. Any city could do this drawing upon a range of start-up capital options. This reduces political and financial risks and it can accelerate emission reductions in a more just sustainable way.