GOVERNING THE “CARBON NEUTRAL CITY”: BARRIERS AND ENABLERS FOR AN INTEGRATED CLIMATE GOVERNANCE IN CITIES

Organizers

Eda Yücesoy, Istanbul Technical University
Eloïse Deshayes, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Presenters

Gerard Martinez Gorbig, University of Twente
Will Brown, University of Cambridge
Elşen Aydin, ODTÜ-GÜNAM
Eloïse Deshayes, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Oksana Udovyk, Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Joe Ravetz, University of Manchester

In recent years, there has been a notable surge in the number of cities globally declaring “climate emergencies” and committing to achieve carbon neutrality. These declarations highlight the role of cities, which are increasingly positioning themselves as pivotal actors in environmental governance. However, as highlighted in the literature, they usually fall short in translating into tangible transformative measures capable of effectively mitigating climate change, focusing mainly on incremental steps (Ruiz- Campillo et al., 2021).

Beyond the realm of political rhetoric,  the  literature  on  policy implementation underscores this persistent gap between policy and outcomes. Transformative actions often remain isolated initiatives rather than integrated components of a comprehensive long-term strategy (Corrêa do Lago et al., 2023; Hölscher et al., 2019; Nagorny-Koring & Nochta, 2018). The literature highlights that barriers to achieving carbon neutrality in cities are deeply rooted at a systemic level, as the phenomenon of “carbon lock-in” create “self-reinforcing barriers” (Unruh, 2002) and strong policy inertia complicating the ability to address the main drivers of emissions at urban level (Tozer & Klenk, 2019). Examples on the ground and case studies confirm that in practice, local governments are confronted with numerous obstacles ranging from financial barriers, lack of jurisdiction, political confrontations, or technical and data-related difficulties (Huovila et al., 2022). These challenges are further complicated by the need to engage diverse stakeholders, including private companies, industries, and citizens. The governance of carbon-neutral cities also entails managing trade-offs. These include balancing mitigation with adaptation efforts, as well as reconciling climate goals with social justice imperatives. The identification of trade-offs associated with local adaptation measures (Anguelovski et al., 2016; Chelleri et al., 2015; Meerow & Newell, 2016) underscores the need to link mitigation with broader objectives such as equity or sustainability, as carbon neutrality “per se” might not be desirable. Additionally, climate policies have the potential to exacerbate existing inequalities, including by increasing gentrification and exclusion of certain groups (Rocco, 2022). Finally, there are more and more claims in the literature and policy circles to broaden the scope of action towards consumption-based emissions rather than strict territorial emissions (Lombardi et al., 2017; Millward- Hopkins et al., 2017). This would allow for a more comprehensive and equitable framework for addressing GHG emissions, incentivizing the adoption of policies that promote less carbon intensive consumption and the reduction of carbon leakage processes (Grasso, 2015). 

Therefore, a holistic and integrated governance is essential to avoid negative externalities and improve the legitimacy, approval, and long-term sustainability of urban strategies towards carbon-neutrality. This session will examine these governance challenges through a multidisciplinary lens, exploring a range of critical topics from carbon-neutral reconstruction to bridging data gaps and identifying key feasibility factors for carbon-neutral policies. A diverse panel of speakers will tackle the multifaceted barriers and opportunities associated with carbon neutrality, drawing on case studies from UK, Ukraine, France, India, Egypt to Türkiye. By addressing these various dimensions in diverse cities, the session seeks to unpack the complexity of governing carbon neutral cities while shedding light on actionable pathways toward sustainable futures.

Key words: N/A