Cities for Climate Protection program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 14:16, 14 June 2016

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As a transnational governance network, joining as a CCP member city is a benefit to a city in itself. Advantages for CCP cities account for exchanges of experience, access to funding and political kudos, and the development of direct links between CCP member cities from the local to international level.<ref name="Kern & Bulkeley, 2009"/> CCP cities have benefited personally, able to voice concerns, interact and learn within a supportive environment, and gain international experience and access to financial resources whilst promoting interests within local government.<ref name="Betsill, M. M. & Bulkeley, H. 2004" /> ). In some cases, Leicester and Newcastle, UK, the CCP program has given enhanced political kudos, creating opportunities for matters of energy and climate mitigation strategies to rise on their local agendas.<ref name="Betsill, M. M. & Bulkeley, H. 2004" /> ). Initiatives undertaken by CCP cities have gained national and international recognition, proving to be a valued resource provided by the transnational governance network.<ref name="Betsill, M. M. & Bulkeley, H. 2004" /> Newcastle, New South Wales and Denver, US, were cities that already had climate change inventories on their local agendas before joining the CCP program network. Only by participating in the transnational governance network were their climate change ethoses and inventories reinforced through their membership. By offering itself up, the CCP program, as a transnational network has been successful in building local capacity, due to the political and financial resources obtained through close membership within the network. Individuals benefiting from this position have been able to allow climate change mitigation strategies to join in line with issues of local significance allowing for the need to responsibly tackle global issues at a local scale.<ref name="Betsill, M. M. & Bulkeley, H. 2004" />

Crucially, while it is seen single local government action on reducing GHG emissions may be relatively ineffective, working together under a transnational governance network frame collectively, such as the CCP cities, can make an important contribution towards the reduction and mitigation of global climate change.<ref name="Fay, 2007">{{cite journal|last=Fay|first=Chris|title=Think Locally, Act Globally: Lessons to Learn from the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign|journal=A Journal of PoliticsInnovations|year=2007|volume=7|pages=1–12|citeseerx=10.1.1.483.3390}}</ref> An example of a CCP success story is Denver, US. After joining the CCP program, Denver’s municipal government invested $1.6million into installing light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into all red traffic lights and ‘don’t walk’ signs across the city. The LEDs, having longer life spans and lower energy requirements, led to a $5million savings in energy use and maintenance for the city.<ref name="Fay, 2007"/>

== Barriers Toward CCP program Local Policy Action ==