Abstract
We evaluate the level of cities’ ambition regarding CO2 emission targets and implementation of climate policies, and factors explaining this. Our empirical analysis explores a dataset for a subset of C40 cities. The reason for studying these cities is that they supposedly are at the forefront of mitigation action. For example, they were the first to disclose their self-imposed emission targets. We determine the targeted future emission levels based on the targeted reduction from the baseline emissions. We calculate these for discrete 10-year periods: 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050. Next, we contrast the resulting emission levels with those in the base year 2015. In addition, we study how distinct explanatory variables, notably mayoral powers regarding climate policy, city characteristics and geographical location affect target emission levels.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Table 18.5 in Appendix presents the complete data used to obtain these estimates.
- 2.
Because of extensive computational time required for estimates, we resorted to using bootstrap of 100, which is sufficiently high to improve confidence intervals.
References
Aires B (2019). https://www.bbhub.io/mayors/sites/14/2015/09/Plan-de-accion-resumen-en-ingles.pdf
Arnott R (2004) Does the Henry George theorem provide a practical guide to optimal city size? Am J Econ Sociol 63(5):1057–1090
ARUP (2015) Climate action in megacities version 3.0, http://www.cam3.c40.org/images/C40ClimateActionInMegacities3.pdf
Bansard JS, Pattberg PH, Widerberg O (2017) Cities to the rescue? Assessing the performance of transnational municipal networks in global climate governance. Int Environ Agreem Politi Law Econ 17(2):229–246. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-016-9318-9
Borck R, Pflueger M (2019) Green cities? Urbanization, trade and the environment. J Reg Sci 59(4):743–766
C40 (2019) Website: https://www.c40.org/cities
Cavailhès J, Gaigné C, Tabuchi T, Thisse J-F (2007) Trade and the structure of cities. J Urban Econ 62:383–404
CDP (2019a). Cities emissions reduction targets 2014. https://data.cdp.net/Emissions/2014-Cities-Emissions-Reduction-Targets/vk38-i4tf. Accessed 3 Nov 2019
CDP (2019b) Cities emissions reduction targets 2015. https://data.cdp.net/Emissions/2015-Cities-Emissions-Reduction-Targets/g298-ewqi. Accessed 3 Nov 2019
CDP (2019c) Cities emissions reduction targets 2016. https://data.cdp.net/Emissions/2016-Cities-Emissions-Reduction-Targets/g6yr-2gzv. Accessed 3 Nov 2019
CDP (2019d) Cities emissions reduction targets 2017. https://data.cdp.net/Emissions/2017-Cities-Emissions-Reduction-Targets-Map/j5zb-bfpp. Accessed 3 Nov 2019
CDP (2019e) Cities emissions reduction targets 2018. https://data.cdp.net/Emissions/2018-City-wide-Emissions-Reduction-Targets/65hr-r9az. Accessed 3 Nov 2019
CDP (2019f) Citywide emissions 2015. https://data.cdp.net/browse?q=2015%20City-Wide%20GHG%20Emissions&sortBy=relevance. Accessed 3 Sep 2019
Gaigne C, Riou S, Thisse J (2012) Are compact cities environmentally friendly? J Urban Econ 72(2):123–136
ICLEI (2015) Measuring up 2015: how US cities are accelerating progress toward national climate goals. http://icleiusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Measuring_Up_2015.pdf
Kuramochi T, Höhne N, Sterl S, Lütkehermöller K, Seghers JC (2017) States, cities and businesses leading the way: a first look at decentralized climate commitments in the US. New Climate Institute, Cologne. https://newclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/states-cities-and-regions-leading-the-way.pdf
Kyriakopoulou E, Xepapadeas A (2013) Environmental policy, first nature advantage and the emergence of economic clusters. Reg Sci Urban Econ 43:101–116
Kyriakopoulou E, Xepapadeas A (2017) Atmospheric pollution in rapidly growing industrial cities: spatial policies and land use patterns. J Econ Geogr 17(3):607–634
LA City (2020) Environmental programs. https://www.lacity.org/residents/popular-information/environmental-programs. Accessed 30 May 2020
Liu Z, Geng Y, Dong H, Wilson J, Micic T, Wu R, Cui X, Qian Y, You W, Sun H (2018) Efficient distribution of carbon emissions reduction targets at the city level: a case of Yangtze River Delta region. J Clean Prod 172:1711–1721. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.12.033
Lucas RE, Rossi-Hansberg E (2002) On the internal structure of cities. Econometrica 70(4):1445–1476
Regnier C, Legras S (2018) Urban structure and environmental externalities. Environ Resour Econ 70(1):31–52
Rossi-Hansberg E (2005) A spatial theory of trade. Am Econ Rev 95(5):1464–1491
Schindlera M, Curusoa G, Picard P (2017) Equilibrium and first-best city with endogenous exposure to local air pollution from traffic. Reg Sci Urban Econ 62:12–23
Seto KC, Dhakal S et al (2014) Human settlements, infrastructure and spatial planning. In: Climate change 2014 - mitigation of climate change. Contribution of working group III to the fifth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. http://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg3/
UN Habitat (2011) Cities and climate change: global report on human settlements 2011. United Nations human settlements programme. United Nations, New York
UNEP (2018) The emissions gap report 2018. United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi
United Nations (2018) World urbanization prospects: the 2018 revision. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Press release
United Nations (2019) World urbanization prospects: the 2019 revision. United Nations, New York
Verhoef ET, Nijkamp P (2002) Externalities in urban sustainability: environmental versus localization-type agglomeration externalities in a general spatial equilibrium model of a single-sector monocentric industrial city. Ecol Econ 40:157–179
Verhoef ET, Nijkamp P (2003) The adoption of energy-efficiency enhancing technologies; market performance and policy strategies in case of heterogeneous firms. Econ Model 20:839–871
WEO (2019) World energy outlook 2019: world primary energy demand and energy-related CO2 emissions by scenario. IEA, Paris
Xepapadeas A (2005) Economic growth and the environment. Handb Environ Econ 3:1219–1271
Yokohama (2019). https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kurashi/machizukuri-kankyo/ondanka/jikkou/old/h26keikaku/keikaku.files/h2603gaiyou-en.pdf
Zhang Y, Liu C, Chen L, Wang X, Song X, Li K (2019) Energy-related CO2 emission peaking target and pathways for China’s city: a case study of Baoding City. J Clean Prod 226:471–481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.051
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Appendix
Appendix
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Siskova, M., van den Bergh, J. (2021). Are CO2 Emission Targets of C40 Cities Realistic in View of Their Mayoral Powers Regarding Climate Policy?. In: Suzuki, S., Patuelli, R. (eds) A Broad View of Regional Science. New Frontiers in Regional Science: Asian Perspectives, vol 47. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4098-5_18
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4098-5_18
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-33-4097-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-33-4098-5
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)