Opportunities and constraints for local and subnational climate change policy in urban areas: insights from diverse contexts

Climate change became the centre of public concern in the last years. Many cities and urban areas are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Local governments play an important role in implementing climate change policies. This paper explores the key factors shaping climate change policy in terms of both enabling conditions for action and the barriers that many urban centres face in taking on the challenge of mitigating and adapting to climate change. It goes beyond the analysis of single case study and captures the diversity of alternatives and contexts of cities involvement in climate action worldwide based on a meta-analysis of 38 cities worldwide. Enabling elements such as good governance, democratic and participatory institutions, and availability of different types of resources, knowledge and information on what and how to act together with the presence of a local champion often appear supporting climate change policy making.