This document provides an overview of best practices for city climate action planning and implementation. It outlines a framework for developing climate action strategies, including conducting assessments of major city systems, setting emissions reduction targets, and designing strategies. Example strategies address building energy use, transportation, waste, and more. The document also discusses challenges such as building analytical capacity, gaining political support, influencing other levels of government, and financing climate actions. Integrating climate goals into other city plans is emphasized.

1. U.S. Cities Climate Action
Best Practices
OUR CITIES, OUR CLIMATE
A Bloomberg Philanthropies – U.S. Department of State Partnership

2. CLIMATE ACTION STRATEGY MAP
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Planning and
Implementation
Mitigation
Strategies
• Implementing the Plan
• Staffing and organization
• Financing
• Monitoring progress
• Building Capacity for
Modeling & Analysis
• Stakeholder Engagement,
Communications &
Political Will
• Influencing Other Levels of
Government
• Financing the Climate
Strategy
• Mitigation Planning
• Emissions Inventories
and Analysis
• Setting Goals
• Developing Strategies
• System Strategies
• Buildings
• Energy Supply
• Transportation
• Solid Waste
• Cross-System Issues
• Integration in
Neighborhoods &
Districts
• Integration into Other
City Plans
• Social Equity
Adaptation
Strategies
• Adaptation Planning
• Climate Impact
Forecasting
• Vulnerability Assessment
• Developing Strategies
• System Strategies
• Buildings
• Energy Supply
• Transportation
• Water/Waste
• Cross-System Issues
• Integration in
Neighborhoods &
Districts
• Emergency Management
• Regional Governance
CITY CLIMATE ACTION

3. HIGHLIGHTS
3
Many U.S. cities
are reducing
GHG emissions
and preparing for
climate
impacts—
developing,
testing, and
implementing
best practices,
borrowing from
and sharing with
cities worldwide
 U.S. cities are serving as “innovation laboratories” for
climate action
• 1,000+ mayors pledged to support Kyoto Protocol targets
• 350 cities using ICLEI ClearPath online emissions
platform
• 132 local governments have set GHG emissions
reduction targets, 33 of them “80x50” or earlier
• 22+ cities in Compact of Mayors; 8 cities in Carbon
Neutral Cities Alliance
 Leading-edge cities are showing it is possible to reduce
emissions substantially and to uncouple economic and
population growth from emissions production.
 It is becoming widely recognized that climate-smart
cities—ones that are mitigating and adapting—are livable
cities that attract talent and investment—“co-benefits” of
climate action.
 Climate action by cities is not a “burden” or “tax,” but an
opportunity for leadership and sustainable prosperity.

4. HIGHLIGHTS: COMPACT OF MAYORS
Momentum for nations and
cities to collaborate
“Thousands of cities are
undertaking climate action
plans, but their aggregate
impact on urban emissions is
uncertain (robust evidence, high
agreement). There has been
little systematic assessment on
their implementation, the extent
to which emission reduction
targets are being achieved, or
emissions reduced.“
-IPCC Working Group III
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Why cities are committing to the
Compact of Mayors
1) Widespread recognition of innovative and
impactful city action already underway for
years
2) A mechanism to demonstrate
commitment to be part of the global
solution
3) Data collection standards and reporting
processes that allow for consistent and
reliable assessment of progress
4) Encouragement for national governments
to recognize local commitments with
resources for those cities taking action.

5. STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
1. Major System “As Is” Conditions
• System structure (how does it work)
• System performance (what are the results)
• Key drivers (what affects performance)
• Key barriers (what prevents improvements)
2. Vision for Re-Designed Systems
• Envisioning the future desired state
• System-specific emissions targets
3. System Change Architecture
• Levers (general approaches to changing a system)
• Strategies (application of a lever to a specific system)
• Actions (a specific service, program, funding, regulation or other
mechanism to implement a strategy)
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6. TYPICAL SYSTEMS AND SUB-SYSTEMS
6
SYSTEM SUB-SYSTEM
ENERGY SUPPLY
• Electricity
• Thermal Combustion (Natural Gas, Fuel Oil, etc.)
BUILDINGS
• Single Family Residential
• Multi-Family
• Small Commercial
• Large Commercial
• Industrial
• Institutional (Education, Medical/Laboratory, etc.)
TRANSPORTATIO
N
• Private vehicles
• Commercial freight
• Air
• Public Transit
• Biking/Walking
SOLID WASTE
• Commodities (Paper, Textiles, Plastics, Metals, etc.)
• Organics/Biological Materials
• Industrial Waste (Chemicals, etc.)
• Construction & Demolition
WATER
• Water Supply
• Stormwater
• Wastewater

7. VISION FOR SYSTEM REDESIGN - MITIGATION
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SYSTEM SUB-SYSTEM
ENERGY SUPPLY
• Decarbonize Imported Electricity
• Increased Local Production of Renewable Power
• Reduced Demand/Consumption of Electricity
• Elimination of Fossil-Fuel Heating Sources
• Citywide Energy Management
• Grid Modernization
BUILDINGS
• High Energy-Efficient Existing Buildings Using Renewable
Power and Energy Recovery
• Net-Zero Energy New Buildings
• Energy-Performance Building Management
• Green Buildings Business and Job-Creation Sector
TRANSPORTATIO
N
• Radically Different Mode Share – 2/3 or More Trips by Public
Transit, Walking, Biking
• An Array of Affordable, Accessible Mobility Choices
• Market Dominance of Clean-Fuel Vehicles
• Connected, Regionalized Mobility System
• Alternative Urban Form Promoting Density and Livability
SOLID WASTE
• Zero Waste/Materials Management/Closed Loop
• Culture of Sustainable Consumption (Purchasing, Reuse,
Recovery)

8. VISION FOR SYSTEM REDESIGN -
ADAPTATION
8Additional Systems: Health, Natural Systems/Land Use, Emergency Management
SYSTEM SUB-SYSTEM
ENERGY SUPPLY
• Distributed Generation and Micro- and Smart-Grids
• Increased Storage Capacity
• Infrastructure Hardening and Removal from High-Risk Areas
• Continued functioning during climate emergencies
BUILDINGS
• Citywide Infrastructure Upgrades to Protect Property, including
Passive Barriers
• New Building Design Standards for Resilience
• Relocation of Utilities in High-Risk Areas; Back-up Systems;
and Elevated Structures
TRANSPORTATION
• Hardening and Elevation of Infrastructure
• Increased Reliance on Above-Ground Transit, Walking and
Biking
• On-Site Renewable Energy Backup Systems
• Citywide Evacuation Plans
SOLID WASTE
• Zero Waste/Materials Management/Closed Loop System
• A Culture of Sustainable Consumption
WATER
• Integrated Water System Management at Watershed Level
• Citywide Green Infrastructure for Stormwater Management
• Man-Made and Natural Barriers to Manage Coastal Flooding

9. CITY LEVERS FOR MITIGATION & ADAPTATION
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HIGH
MARKET
IMPACT
LOW
MARKET
IMPACT
VOLUNTARY MANDATORY
Mandate
Behaviors &
investments
Encourage
Voluntary
Action
Send Price
Signals &
Provide
Subsidies
Make
Targeted
Public
Investments

10. CITY LEVERS FOR CHANGE
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LEVER EXAMPLES
ENCOURAGE
VOLUNTARY ACTION
• Provide information/campaigns
• Support communities of practice
• Enable behavior change
• Provide technical assistance
SEND PRICE SIGNALS &
PROVIDE SUBSIDIES
• Provide subsidies for desired investment/behavior
• Provide financing tools to facilitate investment
• Increase cost of undesirable behavior (taxation, fees,
cap-and-trade)
• Provide regulatory relief in exchange for
investment/behavior
MAKE TARGETED
PUBLIC INVESTMENTS
• Lead by example (city operations/facilities)
• Invest in infrastructure
• Invest in technology development and testing
• Invest in local green businesses and job creation
MANDATE BEHAVIORS &
INVESTMENTS
• Require reporting of climate performance
• Require climate performance (e.g., implementation
of resilience measures for private property

11. AN EXAMPLE FROM THE BUILDING SECTOR
LEVER STRATEGIES MITIGATION ACTIONS
ENCOURAGE
VOLUNTARY
ACTION
Encourage Improved
Energy Efficiency
Performance of
Existing Buildings
• Promote competitive challenges among commercial
buildings
• Use public facilities to promote “cool or green roofs”—
coating of rooftops white to reduce building energy
use
SEND PRICE
SIGNALS &
PROVIDE
SUBSIDIES
Increase ROI for
Investment in
Building Energy
Retrofitting
• Subsidize financial institution lending for energy
retrofitting by building owners
• Promote the development of supportive market
mechanisms such as: building appraisal and
mortgage underwriting that capture value of
investments in energy efficiency
MAKE
TARGETED
PUBLIC
INVESTMENTS
Invest in De-
Carbonizing Building
Heating Systems
• Develop and expand low- to no-carbon district heating
and cooling systems
MANDATE
BEHAVIORS &
INVESTMENTS
Mandate
Performance
Improvement of
Buildings
• Require targeted buildings to benchmark energy
performance and/or conduct energy audits
• Require new buildings to meet “net zero energy”
standards
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12. INTEGRATION OF STRATEGIES IN A
NEIGHBORHOOD
 Increasingly, cities are
focusing on the
integration of mitigation
and adaptation strategies
in specific geographic
areas, whether
neighborhoods of special
districts
 These strategies
customize the design of
building standards,
distributed generation,
transportation, waste
management, and
adaptation measures to
the unique requirements
of a place
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13. INTEGRATING CLIMATE GOALS INTO CITY PLANS
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Mitigation
Strategies
• Mitigation Planning
• Emissions Inventories
and Analysis
• Setting Goals
• Developing Strategies
• System Strategies
• Buildings
• Energy Supply
• Transportation
• Waste
• Cross-System Issues
• Neighborhoods &
Districts
• Social Equity
Adaptation
Strategies
• Adaptation Planning
• Climate Impact
Forecasting
• Vulnerability
Assessment
• Developing Strategies
• System Strategies
• Buildings
• Energy Supply
• Transportation
• Water/Waste
• Cross-System Issues
• Neighborhoods &
Districts
• Emergency Mgt
• Regional Governance
City Comprehensive
Land Use Plans
City & Regional
Transportation Plans
Electric Utility Integrated
Resource Plans
City Utility Plans
(Electric, Water, Waste)
Building Energy Plans
Economic Development
Plans

14. COMMON CITY CHALLENGES
1. Building Capacity for Sophisticated Modeling & Analytics
• Systems change strategies require high levels of detail on the systems, and the ability
to model the potential impact of different strategies and actions
2. Political Will, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
• Broad coalitions of stakeholders need to be organized to support the investments and
policy changes needed to achieve deep de-carbonization
• Benefits need to be communicated to stakeholders in terms that appeal to their
interests
3. Influencing Other Levels of Government
• There are limitations on City powers for every system; so transformative change
requires action at other levels of government (regional, state, national)
• Cities need to organize to communicate their interests and influence change
4. Financing the Climate Strategy
• Cities must finance their programs to stimulate voluntary action, make public
investments, and enforce mandates.
• Cities must design and fund financial incentives/subsidies and pricing signals (e.g.,
taxes, cap-and-trade markets) to stimulate the desired private investments and
behaviors
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