tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/city-mayors-30172/articlesCity Mayors – The Conversation2023-02-23T22:57:01Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2004252023-02-23T22:57:01Z2023-02-23T22:57:01ZThe news about Toronto Mayor John Tory’s affair destroyed his carefully cultivated public image<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512083/original/file-20230223-16-rkkg73.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C16%2C3573%2C2376&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">John Tory walks away from the Toronto City Hall podium on his last day in office on Feb. 17, 2023.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the-news-about-toronto-mayor-john-tory-s-affair-destroyed-his-carefully-cultivated-public-image" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/02/10/a-serious-error-of-judgement-mayor-john-tory-had-relationship-with-staffer.html">The <em>Toronto Star</em> broke news</a> on Feb. 10 about Mayor John Tory’s extramarital affair with an employee in his office. An hour later, he had announced his resignation, and by the end of the following week, <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/video-toronto-mayor-john-tory-submits-formal-resignation-over-staffer-affair/">he was gone from the mayor’s office</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.macleans.ca/society/life/8-canadian-political-sex-scandals-and-one-maybe/">Sex scandals are nothing new in the world of politics</a>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2146-3">Many politicians have survived such scandals and held onto their jobs</a>. These types of scandals are usually considered to be legal, minor and mostly personal indiscretions that don’t impact the ability of government officials to do their jobs.</p>
<p>What is interesting about the Tory case is how drastic and sudden the impact of the affair was. Why did the reports of Tory’s affair have such a shocking and impactful effect on his leadership? Why, in other words, has it brought an end to the now former mayor’s life as a politician? </p>
<h2>Tory’s public image</h2>
<p>Tory, while not commanding an enthusiastic following, was certainly not an unpopular politician at the time of his resignation. Just four months earlier, Tory <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-mayoral-election-results-1.6624984">easily won re-election as mayor</a>. He is the only mayor of Toronto to receive a third consecutive term since the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/01/01/19-years-ago-torontos-six-boroughs-amalgamated.html">amalgamation of Toronto’s six boroughs</a>.</p>
<p>In both the 2018 and 2022 contests, Tory’s hold on power was demonstrated by the fact that, while having many detractors, no popular or united oppositional movement provided any sort of genuine challenge to his leadership.</p>
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<img alt="A man in a suit speaks from behind a podium. Behind him is a giant screen that says 'John Tory Mayor Working for You'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512073/original/file-20230223-17-8zi5f.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">John Tory speaks after winning a third term as the mayor of Toronto at his campaign headquarters on Oct. 24, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
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<p>Academic research has shown that a large part of leadership is transactional, meaning that leaders are given their positions of authority because they can present aspects of their personal characteristics to <a href="https://goal-lab.psych.umn.edu/orgpsych/2020/readings/13.%20Leadership/Lord,%20Day,%20Zaccaro,%20Avolio,%20&%20Eagly%20(2017).pdf">establish and maintain specific expectations among voters</a>. Put another way, leadership is as much about maintaining a successful brand as it is about policy outcomes.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Tory’s success emerged from the way that he was able to establish himself as a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tory-legacy-sex-scandal-1.6753164">competent, effective and practical administrator</a> with a plethora of good judgment. As a result, he could provide Torontonians with an imperfect, but tolerable sense of stability through specific goods. </p>
<p>These goods included, among others, the goods of necessary <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/news/mayor-john-tory-kicks-off-more-than-1-billion-city-of-toronto-2021-construction-season/">infrastructure development</a>, adequate municipal services and fiscal responsibility <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2022/10/14/mayor-john-tory-stands-firm-on-low-taxes-in-the-face-of-massive-budget-shortfall-declining-city-services.html">without a significant increase in taxes</a>. Tory is also credited with <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/task-force-plan-toronto-economy-covid-1.5498842">leading a very capable response</a> to the COVID-19 pandemic. </p>
<p>To put it another way, Tory was — at the very worst — boring. </p>
<h2>The calm after the storm</h2>
<p>Tory’s boring was a good kind of boring. Toronto municipal politics — since the 1998 amalgamation that merged downtown Toronto with each of the city’s inner suburbs <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/01/01/19-years-ago-torontos-six-boroughs-amalgamated.html">to form one “mega-city” administration</a> – has often been contentious and ideologically charged. </p>
<p>City council and the mayor’s office have come to reflect <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/09/22/torontos-political-divide-is-real-but-it-can-change-especially-in-the-suburbs.html">the divergent interests and voting patterns</a> of the more conservative, working-class suburbs and the progressive, educated downtown core. </p>
<p>Toronto politics has been populated by a number of acrimonious, larger-than-life personalities. We might recall, for instance, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2009/12/19/mel_lastman_kicked_off_a_decades_worth_of_faux_pas.html">the gaffe-prone nature</a> of former mayor Mel Lastman, city councillors Giorgio Mammoliti and Gord Perks <a href="https://nationalpost.com/posted-toronto/i-will-defend-myself-if-you-keep-touching-me-gord-perks-and-giorgio-mammoliti-come-close-to-physical-altercation-in-council">who were known for their theatrical shouting matches</a>, or the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/rob-ford-moments-1.3475397">scandal-prone former mayor Rob Ford</a>.</p>
<p>As an exception rather than a rule, Tory will always be remembered as the mayor that stabilized the municipal government <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/the-end-of-the-term-for-rob-ford-what-made-the-outgoing-mayor-both-popular-and-controversial-1.2810759">following the disorder, comedy and scandal of the Ford years</a>. </p>
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<img alt="A man wearing a lei around his neck raises his arms in victory as he speaks from behind a podium. A small crowd of people stand behind him and two women on either side of him are also raising their arms" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=458&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512085/original/file-20230223-4425-ksadb7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=575&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford speaks to his supporters on October 2010 after winning the municipal election.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette</span></span>
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<p>With Tory’s departure, there are indications that this tendency towards political contention will re-emerge. The city’s suburban and downtown populations continue to be divided over the province’s initiatives <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-strong-mayor-bill-39-passes-1.6678864">surrounding “strong mayor” legislation</a>, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2022/06/24/despite-the-election-outcome-the-fight-to-stop-highway-413-is-far-from-over.html">transportation infrastructure</a> and <a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-plows-ahead-with-greenbelt-development-plan-in-face-of-broad-opposition-1.6205697">housing developments in the Greenbelt</a>. </p>
<p>The secure hold on power enjoyed by the Progressive Conservatives at Queen’s Park suggests the <a href="https://breachmedia.ca/how-left-populism-can-win-power-in-toronto/">emergence of an insurgent, populist left-wing counter reaction</a>. At the same time, growing concerns related to the breakdown of law and order may help elect right-wing candidates, <a href="https://thehub.ca/2022-10-26/opinion-vancouvers-centrist-pivot-puts-city-halls-across-canada-on-notice/">as in Vancouver</a>.</p>
<p>Tory’s moderation meant he was often caught in the middle. Conservatives attacked the mayor for <a href="https://nationalpost.com/opinion/jamil-jivani-john-tory-was-not-a-conservative-or-centre-right-mayor">failing to address issues related to crime and maintaining red tape</a> that limited infrastructure development. Progressives attacked him for <a href="https://breachmedia.ca/how-left-populism-can-win-power-in-toronto/">underfunding city services related to transit, maintenance and housing</a>. </p>
<h2>The nail in the coffin</h2>
<p>Tory left office in the midst of an ongoing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-homelessness-opioid-1.6553837">opioid and homelessness crisis</a>, <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/violent-incidents-against-toronto-transit-riders-have-gone-up-60-per-cent-in-recent-years-1.6285705">deteriorating public safety</a> and <a href="https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/02/23/news/young-torontonians-hope-new-mayor-will-make-affordability-top-priority">issues with housing affordability</a>. </p>
<p>The reality is that, while mostly popular, Tory relied predominately on his public image as a competent city manager to maintain support. He had to assure Torontonians that his leadership, while not perfect, was at the very least sound and characterized by good judgement. </p>
<p>Tory’s affair, however, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/john-tory-toronto-mayor-affair-resignation-1.6745947">immediately broke down and delegitimized this carefully crafted image</a>. This is because, more than anything, it demonstrated a substantial error of judgment and lack of integrity. The basis of Tory’s public image meant the affair became inherently political, despite it being a personal issue.</p>
<p>Outside whatever personal impact the situation has had on Tory’s family and marriage, the power imbalance of the relationship also complicates matters. Sixty-eight year old Tory’s relationship was with a 31 year old professional subordinate, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tory-relationship-resignation-power-differential-consent-1.6748505">raising questions about consent and power differentials</a>. There are a number of unanswerable concerns over how the mayor understood, used and made decisions in light of his position of authority.</p>
<p>In the face of all this, there were few remaining factors or strengths the mayor could rely on to weather the storm. While some did defend Tory <a href="https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2023/02/15/doug-ford-says-john-tory-shouldnt-resign-its-not-time-to-change.html">and argue he should stay on as mayor</a>, nobody was able to point to a set of policy accomplishments or goals that, after nearly ten years and a worsening city environment, outweighed the assassination of Tory’s character.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200425/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sam Routley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many politicians have survived sex scandals and still held onto their jobs. But news about John Tory’s affair has brought an end to his career as Toronto mayor. Here’s what’s unique about Tory’s case.Sam Routley, PhD Student, Political Science, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1252822019-10-15T12:58:51Z2019-10-15T12:58:51ZMayors of 94 cities are taking the Green New Deal global, as states fail to act on climate crisis<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297129/original/file-20191015-98670-1up8mw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C28%2C2723%2C1505&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Copenhagen hosts the C40. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/copenhagen-denmark-central-historical-part-city-1529353604?src=TWPP37fEs3DJplNijLe_Zw-2-2">Maykova Galina/Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the seventh World Mayor’s Summit in <a href="https://c40-production-images.s3.amazonaws.com/other_uploads/images/2397_Copenhagen_to_be_the_world%E2%80%99s_first_carbon_neutral_city.original.pdf?1570589012">Copenhagen</a>, leaders of 94 cities embraced a <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/global-gnd">global Green New Deal</a>, in an attempt to make the 2020s the defining decade in the fight against climate change. The major new initiative commits to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, halving emissions by 2030.</p>
<p>Cities matter enormously for the battle against climate change, because while they are a major source of the problem, they also offer the resources to tackle it. Most people live in cities, and they <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html">are expected</a> to house almost 70% of the global population by 2050. Already, 75% of global energy demand, and 80% of greenhouse gas emissions <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-century-of-the-sustainable-city-15263">come from hungry urban hubs</a>. So any solution to the climate emergency must include a vision of a global network of low carbon, sustainable cities. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.c40.org">C40 Cities</a> – which convenes the World Mayor’s Summit each year – is a transnational municipal network that coordinates the efforts of member cities to protect the environment. Inhabitants of the <a href="https://www.c40.org/cities">C40 cities make up</a> a twelfth of the world’s population, and their economic power represents a quarter of the global economy. So the Global Green New Deal augments the C40’s work since 2005 with a central ideological vision, to shape their agenda in the coming decades. </p>
<h2>Driving climate action</h2>
<p>This coordinated action by the C40 mayors is an attempt to drive forward a practical green agenda, as the actions of state governments continue to fall short of what’s needed to address the climate crisis. The move comes on the back of yet another disappointing failure of states to agree effective measures to meet the global warming targets set out by the Paris Agreement, at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.</p>
<p>A range of other actors, including business and civil society, as well as youth climate activists, have also endorsed the global Green New Deal. The significant emphasis upon youth at the Copenhagen summit – including the announcement of a new <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/mayors-vow-to-work-together-with-youth-climate-activists-to-deliver-global-green-new-deal">C40 Global Youth Initiative</a> - suggests an intriguing link between the hopes of a new generation and the leadership and political potential of cities.</p>
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<p>In my recent book, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/global-cities-and-global-order-9780198744016?cc=gb&lang=en&">Global Cities and Global Order</a>, I describe how cities are making use of new channels offered by <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/give-cities-a-seat-at-the-top-table-1.20668">transnational networks</a> to act collaboratively where states have failed. Through these mechanisms they have the ability to take the Green New Deal global in ways that states do not. The C40 has helped to drive cities towards such a future in the last decade: figures released to coincide with the Copenhagen summit suggest that 30 cities, including London, New York, Athens, Venice and Lisbon, <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/30-of-the-world-s-largest-most-influential-cities-have-peaked-greenhouse-gas-emissions">have now peaked</a> their emissions and are making progress towards a net-zero target.</p>
<p>But what is particularly notable about the C40’s decision to embrace the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/11/green-new-deal-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ed-markey">Green New Deal agenda</a> – with its ambitions to eradicate greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture within the next decade - is that it offers a different political vision to the predominantly market-based neoliberal model of the past. </p>
<h2>Conflicting agendas</h2>
<p>As its name implies, the Green New Deal draws inspiration from the New Deal programs of president Franklin Roosevelt in the post-depression United States of the 1930s, which were driven by heavy state investment and intervention in the economy. Many progressive politicians, such as rising democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who gave a keynote address at the C40 Summit, are championing these ideas as a way forward.</p>
<p>Embracing the Green New Deal may put cities at odds with the states they are located within, which show little sign of committing to such an approach. Indeed, in the United States, the Green New Deal has been vehemently opposed by Republicans and some Democrats.</p>
<p>This highlights a weakness of cities, which are particularly dependent on state policies when it comes to their own budgets. At present it is unclear whether the political will exists for states to support the 21st century Green New Deal. So it’s unclear how C40 cities will finance the commitments that come with this new agenda.</p>
<h2>A practical approach</h2>
<p>The timescale for effective action on climate change is short, and practical steps urgently needed. But mayors are practical people. They are able to act on the ground, and to implement successful policies more quickly than slow moving and prevaricating states. If cities find that a particular policy or measure works in one place, the global networks that cities have formed offer the opportunity for success to spread quickly around the world. </p>
<p>In that coming decade, the role of mayors – and the capabilities offered by transnational urban networks such as the C40 – will play an increasingly prominent role in bridging the local, national and global scales to act decisively on climate change.</p>
<p>Mayors can’t save the planet by themselves. But they do have unique abilities to convene different actors, to shape private sector investment, to coalesce civil society around specific agendas, to influence the work of international organisations such as the UN, to interact with local populations, to act quickly on the ground and to unite collectively in globe-spanning networks. As states continue to fail on climate change, the leadership shown by mayors of global cities offers a spark of hope.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125282/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Curtis is a Senior Fellow on Global Cities at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. </span></em></p>Cities represent an increasingly powerful force in global politics – but they’re still constrained by the agendas of slow-acting states.Simon Curtis, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/972232018-05-30T10:38:49Z2018-05-30T10:38:49ZMany Republican mayors are advancing climate-friendly policies without saying so<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220344/original/file-20180524-117628-1gvs28h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, right, and California Governor Jerry Brown, left, discuss drought and water restrictions on August 11, 2015. Faulconer has championed renewable energy, water recycling and other climate-friendly policies.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Drought-Governor-Brown/11128eeaafb5425ba69d29f513f51094/3/0">AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Leadership in addressing climate change in the United States has shifted away from Washington, D.C. Cities across the country are organizing, networking and sharing resources to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and tackle related challenges ranging from air pollution to heat island effects.</p>
<p>But group photos at climate change summits typically feature big-city Democratic mayors rubbing shoulders. Republicans are rarer, with a few notable exceptions, such as <a href="https://www.sandiego.gov/mayor">Kevin Faulconer</a> of San Diego and <a href="http://www.carmel.in.gov/our-government/mayor">James Brainard</a> of Carmel, Indiana. </p>
<p>Faulconer co-chairs the Sierra Club’s <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/ready-for-100/mayors-for-clean-energy">Mayors for 100 Percent Clean Energy Initiative</a>, which rallies mayors around a shared commitment to power their cities entirely with clean and renewable energy. Brainard is a longtime champion of the issue within the <a href="https://www.usmayors.org/">U.S. Conference of Mayors</a> and the <a href="http://climatemayors.org/">Climate Mayors</a> network.</p>
<p>In our research at the <a href="https://www.bu.edu/ioc/">Boston University Initiative on Cities</a>, we found that large-city Republican mayors shy away from climate network memberships and their associated framing of the problem. But in many cases they advocate locally for policies that help advance climate goals for other reasons, such as fiscal responsibility and public health. In short, the United States is making progress on this issue in some surprising places.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Miami, Florida Republican Mayor Tomás Regalado urged voters to support a $400 million bond in November 2017. About half of the money will be used to protect the city from sea level rise and flooding.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Climate network members are mainly Democrats</h2>
<p>In our initiative’s recent report, “<a href="http://surveyofmayors.com/survey/city_networks/">Cities Joining Ranks</a>,” we systematically reviewed which U.S. cities belong to 10 prominent city climate networks. These networks, often founded by mayors themselves, provide platforms to exchange information, advocate for urban priorities and strengthen city goverments’ technical capacities.</p>
<p>The networks we assessed included <a href="http://climatemayors.org/">Climate Mayors</a>; <a href="https://www.wearestillin.com/">We Are Still In</a>, which represents organizations that continue to support action to meet the targets in the Paris climate agreement; and <a href="http://icleiusa.org/">ICLEI USA</a>. </p>
<p>We found a clear partisan divide between Republican and Democrat mayors. On average, Republican-led cities with more than 75,000 residents belong to less than one climate network. In contrast, cities with Democratic mayors belonged to an average of four networks. Among the 100 largest U.S. cities, of which 29 have Republican mayors and 63 have Democrats, Democrat-led cities are more than four times more likely to belong to at least one climate network.</p>
<p>This split has implications for city-level climate action. Joining these networks sends a very public signal to constituents about the importance of safeguarding the environment, transitioning to cleaner forms of energy and addressing climate change. Some networks require cities to plan for or implement <a href="http://www.surveyofmayors.com/survey/city_networks/comparing_networks/">specific greenhouse gas reduction targets</a> and report on their progress, which means that mayors can be held accountable.</p>
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<h2>Constituents in Republican-led cities support climate policies</h2>
<p>Cities can also reduce their carbon footprints and stay under the radar - a strategy that is popular with Republican mayors. Taking the findings of the “Cities Joining Ranks” report as a starting point, I explored support for climate policies in Republican-led cities and the level of ambition and transparency in their climate plans.</p>
<p>To tackle these questions, I cross-referenced Republican-led cities with data from the <a href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us-2016/">Yale Climate Opinion maps</a>, which provide insight into county-level support for four climate policies: </p>
<ul>
<li>Regulating carbon dioxide as a pollutant</li>
<li>Imposing strict carbon dioxide emission limits on existing coal-fired power plants</li>
<li>Funding research into renewable energy sources</li>
<li>Requiring utilities to produce 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources</li>
</ul>
<p>In all of the 10 largest U.S. cities that have Republican mayors and also voted Republican in the 2008 presidential election, county-level polling data showed majority support for all four climate policies. Examples included Jacksonville, Florida, and Fort Worth, Texas. None of these cities participated in any of the 10 climate networks that we reviewed in our report.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=341&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220868/original/file-20180529-80661-11phhy8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=428&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://climatecommunication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us-2016/?est=happening&type=value&geo=county">Yale Program on Climate Change Communication</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This finding suggests that popular support exists for action on climate change, and that residents of these cities who advocate acting could lobby their elected officials to join climate networks. Indeed, we have found that one of the top three reasons mayors join city policy networks is because it signals their priorities. A mayor of a medium-sized West Coast city told us: “Your constituents are expecting you to represent them, so we are trying politically to be their voice.” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220806/original/file-20180529-80645-1r66fk8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mayors join networks to amplify their message, signal priorities to constituents and share information.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.surveyofmayors.com/survey/city_networks/why_mayors_join/">BU Initiative on Cities</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Climate-friendly strategies, but few emissions targets</h2>
<p>Next I reviewed planning documents from the 29 largest U.S. cities that are led by Republican mayors. Among this group, 15 have developed or are developing concrete goals that guide their efforts to improve local environmental quality. Many of these actions reduce cities’ carbon footprints, although they are not primarily framed that way.</p>
<p>Rather, these cities most frequently cast targets for achieving energy savings and curbing local air pollution as part of their <a href="https://urbanplanning.cityofomaha.org/images/stories/Master%20Plan%20Elements/EnvironmentElement2010.pdf">master plans</a>. Some package them as part of <a href="https://www.elpasotexas.gov/%7E/media/files/coep/sustainability/el%20paso%20tx%20%20livable%20city%20sustainability%20plan.ashx?la=en">dedicated sustainability strategies</a>. </p>
<p>These agendas often evoke images of <a href="http://today.oregonstate.edu/archives/2016/apr/framing-discourse-around-conservative-values-shifts-climate-change-attitudes">disrupted ecosystems</a> that need to be <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/04/republicans-framing-climate-change/360911/">conserved</a>, or that endanger human health and quality of life. Some also spotlight cost savings from designing infrastructure to cope with more extreme weather events. </p>
<p>In contrast, only seven cities in this group had developed quantitative greenhouse gas reduction targets. Except for Miami, all of them are in California, which requires its cities to align their greenhouse gas reduction targets with <a href="https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/localgovernment/localgovernment.htm">state</a> <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2015/04/29/news18938/">plans</a>. From planning documents it appears that none of the six Californian cities goes far beyond minimum mandated emission reductions set by the state for 2020. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=357&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/220336/original/file-20180524-90281-1msh92a.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Greenhouse gas reductions goals, with baselines, for the seven largest Republican-led cities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Nicolas Gunkel</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Watch what they do, not what they say</h2>
<p>The real measure of Republican mayors taking action on climate change is not the number of networks they join but the policy steps they take, often quietly, at home. While few Republican mayors may attend the <a href="http://www.wbur.org/news/2018/05/09/boston-climate-summit">next</a> <a href="https://globalclimateactionsummit.org/about/">round</a> of sub-national climate summits, many have set out policy agendas that mitigate climate change, without calling a lot of attention to it – <a href="https://theconversation.com/red-state-rural-america-is-acting-on-climate-change-without-calling-it-climate-change-69866">much like a number of rural U.S. communities</a>. Focusing narrowly on policy labels and public commitments by mayors fails to capture the various forms of local climate action, especially in GOP-led cities. </p>
<p>Carmel, Indiana Mayor James Brainard has suggested that some of his less-outspoken counterparts may <a href="https://thinkprogress.org/republican-mayor-jim-brainard-climate-change-e662f098c0a3/">fear a backlash</a> from conservative opinion-makers. “There is a lot of Republicans out there that think like I do. They have been intimidated, to some extent, by the Tea Party and the conservative talk show hosts,” Brainard has said.</p>
<p>Indeed, studies show that the news environment has become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547018760334">increasingly polarized around accepting or denying climate science</a>. Avoiding explicit mention of climate change is enabling a sizable number of big-city GOP mayors to <a href="http://investor.firstsolar.com/news-releases/news-release-details/first-solar-build-solar-module-factory-mesa-arizona">pursue</a> <a href="http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/gov-tulsa-climate-change-resilience-adaptation-flooding.html">policies</a> that advance climate goals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Boston University Initiative on Cities' Menino Survey, the program's flagship publication, as well as the compendium report "Cities Joining Ranks", which reviews membership and activities of city climate networks, are supported by The Rockefeller Foundation and Citi Community Development.</span></em></p>They may not say ‘climate change,’ but many Republican US mayors support clean energy, jobs in renewable industries, and other climate-friendly policies. And so do majorities of their constituents.Nicolas Gunkel, Research Fellow at Boston University Initiative on Cities, Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/869022017-12-07T19:18:10Z2017-12-07T19:18:10ZCan Atlanta’s new mayor revive America’s ‘black mecca’?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198212/original/file-20171207-11325-hmznti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Keisha Lance Bottoms.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">AP Photo/John Bazemore</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Atlanta mayoral showdown between Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mary Norwood was a political battle 30 years in the making.</p>
<p>Atlanta was poised to elect its first white mayor in decades. However, Bottoms, who is black, claimed a <a href="http://www.myajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/recount-unlikely-favor-norwood-atlanta-mayor-race/deIcq2TERof8fpeXJVkueK/">narrow victory</a> with a few hundred votes more than her opponent. Norwood, who is white, has called for a recount that is unlikely to alter the results.</p>
<p>The election demonstrated the complicated nature of race, class and gender in southern politics. The world has watched Atlanta – the “Black Mecca” – emerge as the vanguard for political inclusion through black electoral politics. Yet, tensions have <a href="http://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/marta-tsplost-transportation/">long simmered</a> just below the surface of the so-called City Too Busy to Hate, as I write in my book, “<a href="https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469635354/the-legend-of-the-black-mecca">The Legend of the Black Mecca</a>.” Atlanta’s pomp and circumstance of the “Black Mecca” is in jeopardy.</p>
<p>Will keeping Atlanta’s executive leader black help resolve these tensions?</p>
<h2>The black new South</h2>
<p>It has been 44 years since <a href="https://saportareport.com/lets-salute-maynard-jackson-40-years-after-becoming-atlantas-mayor-changing-citys-history/">Maynard Jackson Jr.</a> became the first black mayor of Atlanta. And yet, by and large, Atlanta’s working and poorer classes have suffered as the city has risen to global prominence.</p>
<p>The 1980s dealt a deafening blow when President Ronald Reagan <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/reagans-real-legacy/">cut federal funding</a> to American cities. During that time period, Atlanta’s mayors had no choice but to expand the city through developments made by international investors with profit in mind, but no interest in helping the city’s poor. For example, by the 1980s, Atlanta had the second-highest poverty rate in the country, a large homeless population, a high high school dropout rate along with a drug crisis and a recession. As I explain in my book, Atlanta was also one of the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/14/us/drugs-in-atlanta-a-lost-generation.html">top-ranked cities</a> in the country for incidence of violent crimes. </p>
<p>In 1987, Atlanta’s white business community and the black city government started a bid to host the Centennial Olympic Games. In the bidding process, they promoted the city to the world but did little for Atlanta’s natives. Since then, as I see it, Atlanta’s black leadership has been compromised. </p>
<p>The city’s white business elite saw the Olympic bid as a means to recapture Atlanta’s urban center from blight, triggered by white flight of prior generations. They constructed the <a href="http://www.1ac.com/thelocation.php">Atlantic Center</a>, a master-planned, multiphase office complex with 3 million square feet of premium office space. They also created the <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/local/red-dog-disbanded/YX52PfLGA4pDORgnbcgJCK/">Red Dogs</a>, a military-style police outfit, an aggressive police force in black neighborhoods with high occurrence of drug sales and use as well as violent drug-related crimes. In just seven months after its founding, the Red Dogs were responsible for 721 felony arrests.</p>
<p>During this time, white money transcended black political power. Black politicians became pawns between the city’s white business, black middle classes and poor, and international Olympic delegations.</p>
<h2>Atlanta anticipated</h2>
<p>As I explain in my book, the popular political sentiment of the black masses is one of distrust and resentment toward leadership. They believe black leaders pursued policies that benefited white and black elites to the exclusion of the vast majority of black citizens who had brought them to power. </p>
<p>Take housing, for example. From 1974 to 1984, funding for the city’s public housing was slashed by 74 percent. So, Atlanta’s leadership demolished much of it, displacing thousands. The city is now 30 years into a 40-year plan to take back downtown real estate and set housing at market prices – making it unaffordable to working Atlantans who don’t have generational wealth.</p>
<p>I am disheartened by my generation’s negligence. As of Dec. 5, 2017, 640,861 voters <a href="https://www.atlantaga.gov/government/2017-city-of-atlanta-general-election/2017-election-results">were registered</a> in Atlanta’s Fulton County and DeKalb County districts. Only 92,169 voters cast ballots for the mayoral race. For black Gen Xers, this mayoral race demonstrates how negligent we are in understanding history. Our parents bore witness to disenfranchisement and second-class citizenship until the mid-1960s, only for us – the black electorate of Atlanta – to became idolaters of power and popularity, splitting the black vote and forgetting to perform politically.</p>
<p>Narrowly, black Atlantans delivered this election for Bottoms. The vote was divided by race. Maps show that Bottoms’s victory came from <a href="https://atlanta.curbed.com/2014/6/2/10092862/how-segregated-is-atlanta">predominantly black</a> neighborhoods of Atlanta’s west, southwest, south, southeast and east sides. Norwood carried neighborhoods in the predominantly white northern half of the city. Strikingly, the numbers indicate <a href="http://www.myajc.com/news/atlanta-mayoral-runoff-election-2017-precinct-results-map/nnKzoJYBcvkd4E5Hit38CM/">poor voter turnout</a> for both candidates. What does this mean for the future of a city branded as “the City Too Busy to Hate,” “The Black Mecca” and “Hotlanta”?</p>
<p>Let’s be clear: Atlanta is liberated territory for black, brown and other communities on the fringes. Yet, it may be too much to ask our city to live up to all of its competing images. Journalist John Helyar once wrote, “If New York is the Big Apple and New Orleans is the Big Easy, Atlanta is the Big Hustle.” Perhaps Atlanta can focus inwardly – recalibrating virtue and merit – casting aside its conniving spirit.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86902/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Maurice J. Hobson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The city’s image as a model for black mobility and civil rights is crumbling. An expert on race and class politics takes us behind the veneer of one of the South’s most important cities.Maurice J. Hobson, Assistant Professor of African-American Studies, Georgia State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/823752017-09-03T20:07:43Z2017-09-03T20:07:43ZThis is why we cannot rely on cities alone to tackle climate change<p>A lot of faith is vested in cities to tackle climate change, and with good reason. A day after the June 1 declaration that the US would exit the Paris Agreement, 82 American “climate mayors” committed to upholding the accord.</p>
<p>By August 4, when the US gave <a href="https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/08/273050.htm">formal notice</a> of its withdrawal, there were <a href="https://medium.com/@ClimateMayors/climate-mayors-commit-to-adopt-honor-and-uphold-paris-climate-agreement-goals-ba566e260097">372 “climate mayors”</a> representing 67 million Americans. </p>
<p>In Australia, too, national intransigence has led to greater expectations of local actions. The Climate Council’s <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/cpp-report">July report</a> declares that deep cuts in cities’ greenhouse gas emissions can achieve 70% of Australia’s Paris goals. </p>
<p>The report notes that a majority of Australian cities have adopted climate policies. Many are committed to 100% renewable energy or zero emissions. One of the report’s authors <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-the-absence-of-national-leadership-cities-are-driving-climate-policy-81108">argues</a> that, even without national leadership, Australian cities can “just get on with the job of implementing climate policies”.</p>
<p>Many European cities have ambitious emission-reduction targets. Copenhagen plans to be the world’s <a href="http://talkofthecities.iclei.org/how-copenhagen-aims-to-become-the-worlds-first-carbon-neutral-capital/">first carbon-neutral capital by 2025</a>. Stockholm aims to be <a href="https://cleantechhogdalen.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/stockholm-a-fossil-fuel-free-city-2040.pdf">fossil-fuel-free by 2040</a>. </p>
<p>So, at first glance, cities do appear to be leading the way. </p>
<h2>A word of caution</h2>
<p>We support local decarbonisation and the desire for cities to be progressive actors. Yet there are ample grounds to be dubious about cities’ ability to deliver on their commitments. </p>
<p>Sam Brooks, former director of the District of Columbia’s Energy Division, has laid out <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/hard-truths-about-city-failures-with-clean-energy">sobering evidence</a> on the reality of climate action in US cities. </p>
<p>Brooks supports stronger local action rather than “press releases” and “mindless cheerleading”. He shows that most emission cuts in US cities can be attributed to state and federal initiatives such as renewable portfolio standards or national fuel-efficiency rules. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"893896547091468289"}"></div></p>
<p>America’s narrative of climate-friendly cities relies heavily on California’s leadership to make it credible. </p>
<p>By May 2015, California had built the <a href="http://under2mou.org">Under2 Coalition</a> of cities, states and countries committed to keeping the global temperature increase below 2°C. California Governor Jerry Brown was prepared for the June 1 White House announcement, quickly <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/01/jerry-brown-trump-climate-deal-california-china-239035">detailing why it was “insane”</a>. Days later Brown <a href="http://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/336537-california-signs-deal-with-china-to-combat-climate-change">signed a deal</a> between China and his state to collaborate on cutting emissions. </p>
<p>California’s activism sets a benchmark. But Brooks details how New York, Boston, Washington DC and other “frequently lauded cities” often do not use the powers they have. </p>
<p>No US city reports its electricity consumption more than annually. Many do not report it at all. Poor monitoring is a key reason they have not cut consumption, in spite of enormous scope for efficiency. </p>
<h2>Cities have not added much to national trends</h2>
<p>It isn’t just American cities falling short, as Benjamin Barber’s new book, <a href="http://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300224207/cool-cities">Cool Cities</a> makes clear. </p>
<p>Like Brooks, Barber championed urban action against global warming (he died in April 2017). Yet he looked past the hype to point out shortcomings in the mitigation measures of such exemplary cities as London and Oslo.</p>
<p>London’s stated goal is to <a href="https://www.compactofmayors.org/cities/londonjoinus/">cut emissions by 60% by 2040</a>. It seems likely to fail, with blame falling on <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/london-set-to-miss-mayors-climate-change-targets-as-population-booms">rapid population growth</a> and inadequate policies <a href="http://www.modbs.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/17133/Developing_a_roadmap_for__a_zero-emissions_London.html">in the building sector</a>. </p>
<p>Oslo is committed to a 100% cut in emissions <a href="https://www.compactofmayors.org/cities/oslo/">by 2050</a>. But its emissions have risen from 1.2 million tonnes in 1991 to <a href="http://oslo.miljobarometern.se/state-of-the-environment-oslo/climate-and-energy/total-greenhouse-gas-emissions/">1.4 million tonnes in 2014</a>. One complication is that oil and gas production comprise 22% of the Norwegian economy. The nation’s emissions are <a href="http://www.newsinenglish.no/2016/12/16/carbon-emissions-rise-once-again/">up 4.2% since 1990</a>.</p>
<p>Even the progress of climate superstar cities such as Copenhagen, Stockholm and Berlin is, on close examination, subject to important caveats.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.c40.org/profiles/2013-copenhagen">Copenhagen</a> makes much of having cut emissions 21% by 2011 <a href="https://stateofgreen.com/files/download/1901">from 2005 levels</a>. Yet the city admits that 63% of its goal of becoming carbon-neutral relies on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/copenhagen-striving-to-be-carbon-neutral-part-1-the_us_589ba337e4b061551b3e0737">buying carbon offsets</a> for its emissions. </p>
<p>National policy is a crucial context for urban action. For instance, Copenhagen has benefited greatly from a 27% fall in Denmark’s emissions between 1990 and 2015. Unfortunately, Danish emissions are expected to <a href="https://ens.dk/sites/ens.dk/files/Analyser/denmarks_energy_and_climate_outlook_2017.pdf">increase after 2020</a> without new policies.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.compactofmayors.org/cities/stockholm/">Stockholm</a> has cut emissions by <a href="http://international.stockholm.se/globalassets/rapporter/strategy-for-a-fossil-fuel-free-stockholm-by-2040.pdf">around 37% between 1990 and 2015</a>. This is mainly a result of changes to building heating – transport emissions have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/stockholm-pursues-climate-holy-graila-fossil-fuel_us_591246d0e4b0e070cad709d6">barely changed</a>. </p>
<p>As in Copenhagen, Stockholm’s achievements rely greatly on a national target –
<a href="http://www.dw.com/en/sweden-to-end-net-carbon-emissions-by-2045/a-39280147">net-zero emissions by 2045</a> – backed by a robust policy framework.</p>
<p>As for Berlin, its goal is an 85% cut in emissions by 2050, compared to 1990. By 2013 the city had <a href="http://www.berlin.de/senuvk/klimaschutz/politik/index_en.shtml">cut emissions by about one-third</a>. Yet most recent data indicate that emissions have begun to rise slightly. Berlin is at risk of achieving only <a href="http://www.berlin.de/senuvk/klimaschutz/bek_berlin/download/BEK_2030_Senatsbeschluss.pdf">half of its mid-term goal</a> of a 40% cut by 2020. </p>
<p>Berlin is not responsible for a national policy that remains lax on coal and unduly favours automobiles, the source of <a href="http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1099550_greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-cars-in-germany-getting-worse-actually">18% of German emissions</a>. But civic leaders in Berlin <a href="http://www.dw.com/en/berlin-pedal-pushers-demonstrate-for-cyclists-rights/a-39200358">could do more</a> to nudge a car-centred culture towards sustainability.</p>
<h2>What must cities do?</h2>
<p>The urgency of real action is clear from the <a href="http://www.iea.org/etp/etp2016/">IEA’s 2016 report</a> on sustainable urban energy systems. It warns that business as usual in cities could mean emissions increase by 50% by 2050. </p>
<p>The IEA notes that 90% of the growth in primary energy demand is <a href="https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2016/june/etp2016-cities-are-in-the-frontline-for-cutting-carbon-emissions.html">in non-OECD countries</a>. At the same time, climate science tells us deep emissions cuts <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/three-years-to-safeguard-our-climate-1.22201">must begin by 2020</a>. We have to accelerate decarbonisation, which means demanding greater ambition and transparency from cities. The following steps need to be taken:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Every city should have accurate, timely and transparent data on their performance across a range of indicators. These include emissions, electricity consumption, energy efficiency and renewable energy availability.</p></li>
<li><p>We need more robust comparative frameworks to make sense of the data. The 2014 <a href="http://www.c40.org/programmes/the-global-protocol-for-community-scale-greenhouse-gas-emission-inventories-gpc">Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories</a> was a valuable start, but has to be expanded.</p></li>
<li><p>Cities should be more global when calculating their emissions. At present, they tally up emissions from their own territory and production, leaving out emissions from consumption of traded goods and (often) aviation. The differences can be significant. Were Copenhagen’s emissions measured on a consumption basis, the total would be <a href="http://www.mdpi.com/2225-1154/5/2/31/pdf">four to five times higher</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Cities need to differentiate between emission cuts resulting directly from their own actions and those derived from state or national programs. We need to see what cities themselves are doing.</p></li>
<li><p>Cities too often advocate climate neutrality rather than zero emissions. The more a city relies on credits for offsets elsewhere, the greater the risk of failing to cut actual emissions within the city. </p></li>
<li><p>There should be less cheerleading all around. City mayors need to lobby their state and federal counterparts to ensure co-ordinated action at all levels. And citizens must throw out mayors - not to mention regional and national leaders - who don’t accept the urgency of climate mitigation.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Sadly, many cities are dangerously complacent about the need for speed in decarbonisation. No press release can obscure the fact that time is not on our side.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/82375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It’s a good thing that cities aspire to lead the way in acting on climate change in the absence of stronger national action. But a closer look reveals the limitations of current city-based efforts.Brendan Barrett, Senior Lecturer, Program Manager, Masters of International Urban and Environmental Management, RMIT UniversityAndrew DeWit, Professor, School of Policy Studies, Rikkyo UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/683882016-11-15T13:23:09Z2016-11-15T13:23:09ZNew night mayors could make cities’ dreams come true – here’s how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146045/original/image-20161115-31138-1np4ulz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/flayvin/22993463445/sizes/l">James_Beard/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-reveals-uks-first-ever-night-czar">recently announced</a> the identity of the city’s first ever “night czar”. Amy Lamé, a British television and radio personality, was the successful candidate of a competition that garnered hundreds of applicants. She will earn a £35,000 salary, working two-and-a-half days a week, to promote London’s nightlife and champion the city’s <a href="http://londonfirst.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Londons-24-hour-economy.pdf">£26.3 billion</a> night-time economy. </p>
<p>This move will fulfil one of Khan’s key election pledges, to support nocturnal venues and cultural industries. Lamé’s appointment also plays into the mayor’s <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/mayor-london/londonisopen">#LondonIsOpen</a> campaign, designed to show the world that London remains entrepreneurial, international, and welcoming to the creative industries. Khan has based the role on a model pioneered in Amsterdam: the office of “nachtburgemeester” – literally, a night mayor. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"795658228931633152"}"></div></p>
<p>Amsterdam elected its first night mayor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/21/night-mayor-amsterdam-holland-mirik-milan-night-time-commission">in 2003</a>, at a time when the city’s famed nightlife was widely perceived to be in decline. The position was created by a coalition of night-time industry representatives and local government officials, to mediate between different interest groups and advocate for the night-time economy. </p>
<p>The current night mayor of Amsterdam, Mirik Milan, was elected in 2012. A club promoter and outspoken supporter of urban nightlife, Milan <a href="http://nachtburgemeester.amsterdam/english/">contributes to</a> the policies which affect the city’s night-time economy. So far, he has successfully campaigned for 24-hour licenses (introduced in 2013) and positioned himself as the face of urban nightlife in the media; he is often called on to represent the producers and consumers of nocturnal culture.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mirik Milan: night mayor by day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_nowek/29656271371/sizes/l">Adam Nowek/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>Milan has effectively advocated for his position, encouraging other cities around the world to create similar roles – he even <a href="http://nachtburgemeester.amsterdam/program-announcement-night-mayor-summit-2016/">hosted a global conference</a> about night mayors earlier this year. And it seems to be working; over the past few years, the concept has gone global. Paris, Berlin, Sydney, and now London, all have night mayors, as do Zurich and Shibuya, part of Tokyo. </p>
<p>The success of the night mayor – in any given city, and as a global phenomenon – rests on the capacity for a bustling urban nightlife to boost the local economy, by keeping people spending for longer. Vibrant nightscapes have also become a mark of cultural status for global cities. As Milan <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/21/night-mayor-amsterdam-holland-mirik-milan-night-time-commission">argued</a>, they can be used to attract tourists, workers and international students. </p>
<h2>Building bridges</h2>
<p>The role is also about building coalitions and consensus around divisive issues. Nightclubs are often blamed for social problems, ranging from noise pollution, to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/26/fight-for-britains-nightlife-police-council-strangling-night-time-economy">anti-social behaviour</a> and illegal drug use. The recent closure of Fabric – an iconic London nightclub with a global following – is a case in point: despite <a href="https://www.change.org/p/save-london-s-nightlife-stop-the-closure-of-fabric">opposition from the public</a>, its <a href="https://theconversation.com/loss-of-fabric-nightclub-is-latest-blow-to-londons-cultural-capital-65065">license was revoked</a> by the local council, following a review into two drug-related deaths at the venue over the summer. </p>
<p>Fabric is simply the most recent victim in a series of high-profile closures. In the last decade, the number of nightclubs has <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/leisure/11794792/Why-are-Britains-nightclubs-in-such-a-desperate-situation.html">nearly halved</a>. But punitive regulation is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/13/what-happened-to-the-great-london-nightclubs">not the only factor</a>: gentrification presents another <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/dalston-club-dance-tunnel-announces-shock-closure-but-owners-hope-for-better-venue-a3226601.html">increasingly serious threat</a> to the economic viability of nightclubs, with rising property values driving up rents. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Rents they are a-rising.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbury/10844616245/sizes/l">FlickrDelusions/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>Yet managing a growing global city at night also has much to do with service provision, infrastructure flexibility, cultural sensibility and urban safety. As the Greater London Authority (GLA) itself <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/night-tube-services-will-launch-on-19-august">admits</a>, demand for night-time travel is on the rise, with late night tube usage is increasing at double the rate of daytime trips (over 170% since 2000). </p>
<p>While the mayor’s office and the GLA may have come out in support of London’s nightlife and nocturnal culture, they will need to work alongside Lamé toward building a far broader consensus. For instance, licensing falls within the jurisdiction of London’s boroughs, so local councillors will need to be brought on board. Protecting nightlife venues requires bringing diverse, and sometimes hostile, parties to the table. Appointing a night czar is a start – but it may take more than that to nurture London’s nightlife.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/68388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Newman receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and from Fulbright Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michele Acuto receives funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the World Bank Group, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).</span></em></p>Cities are realising that having great nightlife is not just about entertainment – it also means a 24-hour economy.Katherine Alexandra Newman, PhD Candidate, University of VictoriaMichele Acuto, Professor of Diplomacy and Urban Theory, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.