Explore the U.S. Cities Policy Landscape Report

Executive Summary

This report assesses a total of 1,406 energy- and climate-related policies collected across 157 cities in 48 states to characterize the actions cities are taking in the United States. It represents the first step in a broader research agenda to better understand the roles cities can play under different state policy contexts. By compiling and analyzing city-level actions pertaining to climate and energy, we identify trends across sectors, policy instruments, and policy priorities, comparing these city actions with state-level actions. This analysis establishes a foundation for future research to assess the effectiveness of city policies and their contributions to national and state outcomes.

Project Summary

• Subnational actors, including states, cities, and businesses, have been an important force behind the evolution of increasing U.S. climate action.
• Since 2017, CGS has assessed the impacts of subnational climate action on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions trajectories, showing that they can meaningfully contribute to U.S. climate commitments.
• While city climate actions have been growing and are expected to contribute to emissions outcomes, quantifying these actions has been difficult due to limited data availability and modeling tools.
• This report is the first step in a broader research agenda to better understand the roles cities can play under different state policy contexts. It establishes a foundation for future research to assess the effectiveness of city policies and their contributions to national and state outcomes.