The transfer of good practices among cities in Europe has been an important driver of local climate action since the forerunner cities became active in climate policy in the early 1990s. Although lesson-drawing has taken place since then, particularly by forerunner cities, there are also limitations. The diversity of cities with respect to their size, geographical location, social and economic structures and their position within national governance systems needs to be acknowledged. Still, lessons can be learned in different areas: strategic approaches to post-carbon transitions, evidence-based institutional learning, visibility and awareness-raising through demonstration projects, and sector-specific initiatives (for the built environment, transport, waste, urban planning, etc.). Given the diversity of cities and towns in Europe, there is no one-size-fits-all approach...

In the EU, cities are beginning to address their local carbon emissions through energy efficiency measures, improvements in waste management and investments in renewable energy. Yet, despite the measures, so far there has been little progress on how to reduce the individual footprint, which to a large degree stems from consumption and the indirect footprint that comes with it. As private consumption drives growth, a reduction of consumption as a way to reduce environmental impacts is often seen as undesirable from an economic perspective. Therefore, increased consumption, often encouraged at the political level, is in contradiction to what is needed, creating a catch-22 situation. The result from the POCACITO project shows that changes in consumption patterns are inescapable in order...

A number of city-led initiatives have gained momentum in international cooperative action in 2016 ; for example, the Global Covenant of Mayors initiative, the entry into force of the Paris Agreement, and the Habitat III UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development. Yet, despite increasing awareness of these developments and an expectation that cities will play a key role in the transition to a post-carbon future, citizens, or more broadly stakeholders, have so far not fully participated in the decision-making process. This paper presents lessons from the POCACITO stakeholder consultation process, which is characterised by visioning, backcasting and quantification, and recommends that the EU, member states and cities focus on adapting governance models, increase support for capacity building, and...

How creating visions of a post-carbon urban future can help generate a positive image of the transformed city in which urban life quality, economic and social vibrancy improve for citizens, while carbon emissions decrease? Utilising urban policies to facilitate transition towards a post-carbon future requires a drastic change of direction in current policies. Yet the uncertainty associated with change can often stifle action. Creating a roadmap based on such visions and scenarios translates the envisaged and necessary transformations into feasible small-scale actions. Developing a policy programme based on post-carbon visions and roadmaps can transform the ambitious goal of achieving a post-carbon society into manageable and measureable steps of change, without losing sight of the long-term goal. Visions are thus a...