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Mobilizing Cities towards a Low Carbon Future: Tambourines, Carrots and Sticks

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  • Leonardo Meeus
  • Erik Delarue

Abstract

In the transition towards a decarbonized energy system, we need city authorities to lead by example as public actors, to govern the actions of the private urban actors as local policy makers, and to conceive and manage the implementation of an integrated approach as coordinators, which we introduce in this paper as three levels of city smartness. Local governments however have institutional disincentives to act, and if they do act, they are confronted with urban actors that are reluctant to follow. This paper analyzes how city pioneers in Europe have been able to overcome these disincentives thanks to a combination of local circumstances and interventions by higher levels of government. We categorize the state of the art instruments that have been used by higher levels of government into “tambourines”, “carrots”, and “sticks”, and reflect on how the state of the art could be improved.

Suggested Citation

  • Leonardo Meeus & Erik Delarue, 2011. "Mobilizing Cities towards a Low Carbon Future: Tambourines, Carrots and Sticks," RSCAS Working Papers 2011/04, European University Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:rsc:rsceui:2011/04
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    3. Castán Broto, Vanesa, 2017. "Urban Governance and the Politics of Climate change," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 1-15.
    4. Winfried Osthorst, 2020. "Tensions in Urban Transitions. Conceptualizing Conflicts in Local Climate Policy Arrangements," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Kh Md Nahiduzzaman & Abdullatif Said Abdallah & Arash Moradzadeh & Amin Mohammadpour Shotorbani & Kasun Hewage & Rehan Sadiq, 2023. "Impacts of Tariffs on Energy Conscious Behavior with Respect to Household Attributes in Saudi Arabia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-24, February.
    6. Luan Santos & Karl Steininger & Marcelle Candido Cordeiro & Johanna Vogel, 2022. "Current Status and Future Perspectives of Carbon Pricing Research in Austria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-28, August.
    7. Kanters, Jouri & Wall, Maria, 2016. "A planning process map for solar buildings in urban environments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 173-185.
    8. Wretling, Vincent & Gunnarsson-Östling, Ulrika & Hörnberg, Christina & Balfors, Berit, 2018. "Strategic municipal energy planning in Sweden – Examining current energy planning practice and its influence on comprehensive planning," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 688-700.
    9. Didi van Doren & Peter PJ Driessen & Hens Runhaar & Mendel Giezen, 2018. "Scaling-up low-carbon urban initiatives: Towards a better understanding," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 55(1), pages 175-194, January.
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    11. Lee, Taehwa & Lee, Taedong & Lee, Yujin, 2014. "An experiment for urban energy autonomy in Seoul: The One ‘Less’ Nuclear Power Plant policy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 311-318.

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