As we described in our November 2015 report The Urban Clean Energy Revolution, local governments are partnering deeply with other jurisdictions and networks to accelerate carbon reduction. Over the past decade, the number and scale of organizations helping cities to reduce their carbon footprints have expanded dramatically—including international initiatives such as the Compact of Mayors and the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, and local efforts such as the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration and the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative.

• The Compact of Mayors is the world’s largest coalition of city officials committed to track and reduce urban carbon emissions and increase resilience to climate change. Launched in 2014 at the United Nations Climate Summit, the Compact is a partnership of C40 Cities, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, United Cities and Local Governments, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael Bloomberg, and UN Habitat.
• The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, a signature initiative of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, supports leading international cities to achieve cuts in climate pollution and help them partner to meet their respective goals more efficiently and effectively. The Alliance commissioned the Innovation Network for Communities to develop a carbon neutrality planning framework in late 2015.
• The King County-Cities Climate Collaboration is a partnership of King County, WA and 13 cities working together to adopt and achieve formal, shared countywide carbon emissions reduction targets. The collaboration provides cities with an extensive local network of experts and peers on whom staff can count for best practice information, lessons learned, tools, and resources.
• The San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative is a network for public agencies in the San Diego region to share expertise, leverage resources, and advance comprehensive solutions to facilitate climate change planning. Partners include academic institutions, nonprofits, and businesses to extend the reach and impact of public sector efforts.