Full Title: A Survey of North American City Climate Leaders: The Prospects for Climate Action in the COVID-19 Era
Author(s): Ardeth Barnhart, Jacquie Ashmore, Alicia Zhang, Cutler Cleveland, Taylor Dudley, Katharine Lusk, Peter Plastrik, John Cleveland
Publisher(s): Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy, Boston University Initiative on Cities, Innovation Network for Communities
Publication Date: October 19, 2020
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Description (excerpt):
In response to this question, a team from Boston University and the Innovation Network for
Communities surveyed a small set of city climate leaders in the U.S. to gain a critical
perspective from practitioners working at the city level. The survey addresses questions
about the current priority of climate actions in cities and the likelihood of implementation,
the financial implications of the pandemic, and top climate actions that city leaders will take
in the next eighteen months that impact climate change, the economy, and equity. Survey
participants responded to over seventy questions related to climate actions that impact citywide policies and municipal operations, indicating the status of these actions in their cities.
While not exhaustive, our survey provides insight into how cities are pivoting to maintain and
expand climate action in 2020 and beyond.
The survey results demonstrate that in the midst of multiple new challenges, many cities plan
to improve public health and rebuild the economy in an equitable way as part of a broader
effort that is integrated with city climate action plans. As one city official points out, “the
COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted and reaffirmed that climate action represents a key
opportunity to support local economic development and advance key outcomes related to
health, equity, and resilience.”