THE LOCAL BUSINESS CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION

This working paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) proposes a practical framework for implementing climate action in cities, particularly in developing countries. Based on an analysis of seven urban projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the paper identifies five critical levers—power and leadership, communication and engagement, capacity building, financing implementation, and the demonstration effect—that practitioners can use to overcome barriers and embed climate compatibility into urban planning and investment.

• Cities are critical to global climate efforts because they occupy only 3% of Earth's land but are responsible for 60-80% of energy consumption and 75% of carbon emissions. Furthermore, over 90% of all urban areas are coastal, making them highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and storms.
• Effective climate action in cities is often hindered by political and governance barriers, including short mayoral terms, centralized budgetary controls, and a lack of local government autonomy. The paper notes that national governments often control energy and infrastructure, which can lead to a lack of local ownership of projects.
• The 'Power and Leadership' lever emphasizes the importance of identifying strategic advocates within city governments. For example, in Ahmedabad, the appointment of a Nodal Officer from the health department was critical for coordinating the Heat Action Plan and utilizing existing public health communications infrastructure.
• Communication and engagement must be tailored to the specific city context to create a strong business case. In Ahmedabad, city authorities were motivated when partners presented evidence correlating heat waves with mortality and demonstrated that addressing the risk was achievable.
• Capacity building is essential to overcome limited analytical capabilities and high staff turnover in city governments. The paper suggests plugging technical skills deficits by partnering with universities and research organizations, as seen in the Heat-health in India project.
• Financing climate action in cities is challenging due to limited local budgets and rigorous criteria for international funds like the Green Climate Fund. The paper advocates for engaging the private sector from the project's conception to create 'investable propositions' and leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, as attempted in Kupang.
• The 'Demonstration Effect' allows successful city-level projects to be scaled up and replicated. The Ahmedabad Heat Action Plan served as a model that was subsequently adopted by 17 cities and 11 states across India, supported by the National Disaster Management Authority.
• In Cartagena, Colombia, the 'Plan 4C' (Competitive and Climate Compatible Cartagena) provides a roadmap to 2040. Despite changes in political leadership, the plan has maintained continuity through the commitment of successive mayors and the Secretary of Planning.
• The 4PCCD project in Maputo, Mozambique, demonstrated the value of 'Public Private People Partnerships' by empowering citizens through an elected Climate Planning Committee to prioritize waste management and drainage improvements.
• Research in Uganda, including a case study of Kampala, found that the cost of inaction regarding climate change was 20 times greater than the cost of adaptation, providing a strong economic argument for integrating climate projections into infrastructure planning.

APA

Green, Z., Fitzgerald, L., & Norton, C. (2017). THE LOCAL BUSINESS CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_The-local-business-case-for-climate-action_Web-final.pdf

Chicago

Green, Zoe, Lizzy Fitzgerald, and Connie Norton. THE LOCAL BUSINESS CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_The-local-business-case-for-climate-action_Web-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Green |first1=Zoe |last2=Fitzgerald |first2=Lizzy |last3=Norton |first3=Connie |title=THE LOCAL BUSINESS CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_The-local-business-case-for-climate-action_Web-final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{green2017local, author = {Green, Zoe and Fitzgerald, Lizzy and Norton, Connie}, title = {{THE LOCAL BUSINESS CASE FOR CLIMATE ACTION}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_The-local-business-case-for-climate-action_Web-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }