What Happens When Municipalities Set Targets to Reduce Their Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

Abstract

We study the process of setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in municipalities within the Canadian province of British Columbia. Our findings are based on a survey of municipal planners and administrators regarding different features of the process their municipality followed to set targets. We find that the type of process a municipality follows has potential implications for both the ambitiousness of their targets and the likelihood of targets being achieved. Future research can monitor and evaluate which types of targets and target-setting processes prove more effective for fostering actual reductions in municipal emissions.