Multi-level climate governance supporting local action: Instruments enhancing climate change mitigation and adaptation at the local level

To achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, dedicated efforts are required by all government levels as well as stakeholders from business and civil society. Especially cities and municipalities need to be recognized, engaged and enabled to fulfil their role as important climate actors. Despite the numerous existing climate initiatives, local mitigation and adaptation potentials are far from being exploited to the full. In this regard, coordination and cooperation across all government levels is key (multi-level climate governance).

Against this background, this study was commissioned by the project Climate Policy Meets Urban Development. The study sheds light on the variety of cooperation mechanisms within and across government levels by presenting a broad range of examples, it offers case studies of different multi-level governance frameworks and provides concrete recommendations for policy and practice.

The project Climate Policy Meets Urban Development is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and financed by the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.