Local Governments and Climate Change

Local Governments and Climate Change
Author: Maryke van Staden
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 462
Release: 2010-04-05
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1402095317

Global warming is changing the world as we know it. Climate change can have catastrophic impacts in numerous cities across the world. It is time for us to react – quickly and effectively. The European Community (EC) has been leading the fight against climate change, making it one of its top priorities. We have introduced the most ambitious targets of their kind, known as the “20/20/20 by 2020” initiative within the “Climate Action and Renewable Energy Package.” As a result, European Member States have taken on a commitment to curb their CO emissions by at least 20% by 2020. 2 These targets are indeed commendable; however, they are only the start if we are to avoid the consequences of global warming. Whilst top level coordination from the European Institutions and Member State governments is vital, the role of mitigating and adapting to climate change at local level must not be forgotten. In fact, here cities, regions and their citizens play a significant a role. It is therefore vital they become directly involved in the climate change challenge. The European Commission therefore launched in 2008 a new initiative, the Covenant of Mayors, which brings together a network of European mayors in a voluntary effort to go beyond the European Union’s already ambitious targets. Half of our greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are created in and by cities.

Selections from The Municipal Year Book

Selections from The Municipal Year Book
Author: Robert J. O’Neill Jr.
Publisher: ICMA Publishing
Total Pages: 39
Release: 2014-04-04
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0873265556

Selections from The Municipal Year Book: On The Profession contains facts, figures, and research-based articles on management trends and intergovernmental relations: (1) Reflections on the First Decade of the 21st Century, (2) The Politics of Apolitical Leadership, and (3) Growing Income Disparity and the Implications for Local Government.

Local Energy Governance

Local Energy Governance
Author: Magali Dreyfus
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2022-03-30
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1000547442

Local Energy Governance: Opportunities and Challenges for Renewable and Decentralised Energy in France and Japan examines the extent of the energy transition taking place at a local level in France and Japan, two countries that share ambitious targets regarding the reduction of GHG emissions, their share of renewable energy and their degree of market liberalization. This book observes local energy policies and initiatives and applies an institutional and legal analysis to help identify barriers but also opportunities in the development of renewable energies in the territories. The book will highlight governance features that incubate energy transition at the local level through interdisciplinary contributions that offer legal, political, sociological and technological perspectives. Overall, the book will draw conclusions that will also be informative for other countries aiming at promoting renewable energies. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy policy and energy governance.

Selections from The Municipal Year Book

Selections from The Municipal Year Book
Author: James H. Svara
Publisher: ICMA Publishing
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2014-04-04
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0873265602

Selections from The Municipal Year Book: On Sustainability contains facts, figures, and research-based articles on management trends and intergovernmental relations: (1) Early Stages of Local Government Action to Promote Sustainability, (2) Off the Beaten Path: Sustainability Activities in Small Towns and Rural Municipalities, and (3) Local Government Support for Food System Development.

Revolutionary Power

Revolutionary Power
Author: Shalanda Baker
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2021-01-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1642830674

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, completely upending the energy grid of the small island. The nearly year-long power outage that followed vividly shows how the new climate reality intersects with race and access to energy. The island is home to brown and black US citizens who lack the political power of those living in the continental US. As the world continues to warm and storms like Maria become more commonplace, it is critical that we rethink our current energy system to enable reliable, locally produced, and locally controlled energy without replicating the current structures of power and control. In Revolutionary Power, Shalanda Baker arms those made most vulnerable by our current energy system with the tools they need to remake the system in the service of their humanity. She argues that people of color, poor people, and indigenous people must engage in the creation of the new energy system in order to upend the unequal power dynamics of the current system. Revolutionary Power is a playbook for the energy transformation complete with a step-by-step analysis of the key energy policy areas that are ripe for intervention. Baker tells the stories of those who have been left behind in our current system and those who are working to be architects of a more just system. She draws from her experience as an energy-justice advocate, a lawyer, and a queer woman of color to inspire activists working to build our new energy system. Climate change will force us to rethink the way we generate and distribute energy and regulate the system. But how much are we willing to change the system? This unique moment in history provides an unprecedented opening for a deeper transformation of the energy system, and thus, an opportunity to transform society. Revolutionary Power shows us how.