Global Cities and Climate Change

Book excerpt: Cities have led the way to combat climate change by planning and implementing climate mitigation and adaptation policies. These local efforts go beyond national boundaries. Cities are forming transnational networks to enhance their understandings and practices for climate policies. In contrast to national governments that have numerous obstacles to cope with global climate change in the international and national level, cities have become significant international actors in the field of international relations and environmental governance. Global Cities and Climate Change examines the translocal relations of cities that have made an international effort to collectively tackle climate change. Compared to state-centric terms, international or trans-national relations, trans-local relations look at policies, politics, and interactions of local governments in the globalized world. Using multi-methods such as multi-level analysis, comparative case studies, regression analysis and network analysis, Taedong Lee illustrates why some cities participated in transnational climate networks for cities; under what conditions cities internationally cooperate with other cities, with which cities; and which factors influence climate policy performance. An essential read to all those who wish to understand the driving factors for local governments’ engagement in global climate governance from a theoretical as well as practical point of view. Lee makes a valuable contribution to the fields of international relations, environmental policies, and urban studies.