City Scale’s Local Government Climate Program Participation Database is the most comprehensive effort to track local government climate engagement in the United States. We created it to help understand the bigger picture of local government climate action, starting with the simple question: “How many cities do we know to be engaged in climate work?” Using formal opt-in to climate programs as a proxy for engagement, we have compiled information on over 80 initiatives, including commitment platforms, peer networks, certifications, technical assistance programs, and other efforts to engage local governments on climate.
In our 2020 Snapshot we highlight key engagement patterns across local governments and across scales (i.e., counties, metropolitan areas, states, and regions). These insights can help inform and shape how we expand and evolve climate work. This is particularly critical now as the Biden-Harris Administration begins to draft federal climate policies that we hope will enable all communities across the country to participate and benefit.
See full report: U.S. Local Government Climate Program Participation: 2020 Snapshot – PDF
City Scale’s Ariella Maron provides an overview of our comprehensive database of U.S. local government
participation in climate initiatives and a brief peek at some of the findings highlighted in our 2020 Snapshot.