Transnational Action Fostering Climate Protection in the City of São Paulo and Beyond

Abstract

This article examines the local out-comes of São Paulo city’s engagement in trans-national networks for climate protection. The participation of municipalities in such networks has been an important driver in fostering lo-cal initiatives to protect global climate. There have been accounts of many cases of mitiga-tion measures implemented successfully at the local level, demonstrating significant carbon emissions reductions, thus helping national governments in their emissions reductions ef-forts. However, few studies have explored the linkages between transnational engagement, implementation of subnational climate action, and the actual national commitments in devel-oping countries. This paper assesses the role of local engagement in transnational networks in the adoption and implementation of climate policies and legislation in the city of São Paulo, and its impact on the Brazilian government’s climate action, in the period between 2002 and 2014. São Paulo was an active member of ICLEI’s Cities for Climate Protection cam-paign and the C40 network during this period. The city was the first government to adopt leg-islation establishing reduction targets in 2009. However, while transnational action influenced the inception of the city’s climate change pol-icy, it has had limited impact on the implemen-tation of climate action beyond the municipal level. The role of transnational action, in this context, is yet to be determined.