Antos on role of subnational governments in reducing GHGs and implementing adaptation
Subnational governments—cities, counties, and states in the U.S. and around the world—have an essential role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing integrative approaches to adaption. Leading up to the Paris climate talks, California Governor Jerry Brown, in partnership with the German state of Baden-Württemberg, gathered commitments from cities and regions to take specific actions toward aggressive emissions reductions, using a multitude of best practices that have been shared across the world. In Paris, close to 1,000 mayors at the Climate Summit for Local Leaders committed to setting ambitious emissions reduction targets.
This kind of action–mitigation and adaptation at the subnational level–is critical to meet the target of limiting warming below 2 degrees Celsius. However, even if this is achieved, impacts such as sea-level rise and extreme weather events will require a significant investment in adapting infrastructure and resource use to the changing environment.
