From Diplomacy to Mobility: Six Legislative Responses Cities Are Using to Confront Climate Change

"From building codes to mobility restrictions and new diplomatic roles within city governments, climate policy is increasingly being shaped at the local level through a widening range of legislative and institutional tools. Cities as varied as Sydney, Boston, New York, Paris, Miami, and dozens across Latin America are adopting targeted strategies that reflect their distinct environmental pressures and governance structures. These initiatives range from all-electric and net-zero construction requirements, to traffic-control measures designed to curb the social costs of private vehicle use, to emerging forms of urban diplomacy that coordinate responses to rising temperatures and biodiversity loss."

"In the current context, where the construction industry generates nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, reducing the environmental impact of new construction may sound practically absurd. However, definitions of sustainability include systemic factors that also call for addressing housing shortages, recreational spaces, and public spaces, aiming for social sustainability through architecture and urban design. It is within this effort that local governments resort to regulatory tools for the approval of new construction."

Local governments are shaping climate policy through a wide array of legislative and institutional tools tailored to local environmental pressures. Municipalities are adopting all-electric and net-zero construction requirements to reduce construction-sector emissions while incorporating social sustainability objectives like housing and public spaces. Cities are implementing traffic-control and mobility measures to curb congestion and the social costs of private vehicle use. New forms of urban diplomacy and intermunicipal cooperation are emerging to coordinate responses to heat, biodiversity loss, and other climate risks. Territorial management is evolving via regulatory experimentation, targeted strategies, and collaborative governance approaches.

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