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Doelle, Meinhard; Munroe, Kaija Belfry --- "Climate Governance at the Municipal Level in Canada: A Case Study of Mitigation Efforts in Halifax" [2012] ELECD 720; in Richardson, J. Benjamin (ed), "Local Climate Change Law" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: Local Climate Change Law

Editor(s): Richardson, J. Benjamin

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9780857937476

Section: Chapter 7

Section Title: Climate Governance at the Municipal Level in Canada: A Case Study of Mitigation Efforts in Halifax

Author(s): Doelle, Meinhard; Munroe, Kaija Belfry

Number of pages: 26

Extract:

7. Climate governance at the municipal
level in Canada: a case study of
mitigation efforts in Halifax
Meinhard Doelle and Kaija Belfry Munroe

1. INTRODUCTION
National efforts and international leadership on climate change have been
lagging behind the level of ambition dictated by science and equity for some
time in North America. The 2007 assessment report of the IPCC suggests that
a 25­40 percent reduction to 1990 emission levels may be needed from devel-
oped countries collectively by 2020 to enable the global community to avoid
the worst effects of climate change.1 However, Canada and the United States
have pledged to climate mitigation efforts that would see their emissions more
or less return to 1990 levels by 2020.2
Many states in the United States and provinces in Canada have responded
to this vacuum at the national level with their own climate mitigation strate-
gies, with greatly varying levels of ambition and commitment. Individuals,
interest groups and other stakeholders concerned about the lack of progress at
international, national and provincial levels have frequently turned to munici-
pal governments. This level of government is often most accessible to indi-
viduals and community interest groups but is least able to ensure a coordinated
global climate mitigation effort. Nonetheless, municipal governments, at least
in some jurisdictions, have shown surprising leadership with regard to climate
mitigation.
While many municipalities are starting to address both climate mitigation
and adaptation, most municipal action has focused on the former.3 Despite


1 For the IPCC' ...