Toward Comprehensive Climate Action: Assessing Mitigation Approaches Across Canadian Municipalities

Abstract

Local governments are widely regarded as key leaders in the global response to climate change. Understanding if and how municipalities commit to climate mitigation is crucial for assessing their contribution to global emission-reduction goals and identifying barriers to effective climate transitions. Here we provide an assessment of local climate action planning and implementation approaches. Drawing from an original survey dataset from municipal governments across Canada, we identify in a cluster analysis six climate governance typologies: Comprehensive Climate Advocates, Foundation Builders, Internal Impact Architects, Unseen Leaders, Silent Implementers, and Climate Bystanders. Whereas municipalities in the top-performing cluster have adopted the most convincing approaches, subsequent clusters highlight inconsistencies regarding planning, budgeting, implementation, and reporting, revealing a polarized climate action landscape. Association analysis points to the limited influence of existing subnational policies on local climate action and to setbacks for some municipalities, while also revealing an emerging group of small and mid-sized municipalities that is gaining prominence in comprehensive climate action. These results can help to inform climate action scholarship and policymaking, providing insights into the comprehensiveness of mitigation approaches across different types of municipalities and the need for continued assessment of multi-level accountability mechanisms.