Urban Climate Law

Local governments are often seen as the engines of climate innovation, and they are. Cities imagine, test, and implement new approaches that, when successful, are adopted across states and beyond. Urban Climate Law provides an important and accessible resource that outlines, in plain language, the legal guardrails that must be considered by local governments as they create new pathways for climate progress. – Gina McCarthy, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and first White House National Climate AdvisorCities are central to addressing the biggest sources of greenhouse gases—transportation, buildings, energy generation, and waste. Doing so is legally complex. This book is the first to delineate the legal frameworks and areas of law that apply to local climate policy making. It will help local governments craft sounder policies with increased awareness of the legal constraints and opportunities within which cities operate. – Michael B. Gerrard, professor and faculty director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law SchoolUrban Climate Law is the resource by lawyers for city practitioners that we’ve been waiting for. As climate change policy in cities requires governments to act boldly and think creatively, there is a constant stream of legal questions that create uncertainty at the local level. This book is going to be the building block needed to unlock city-led action in addressing the climate crisis. – Laura Jay, regional director for North America, C40 CitiesMichael Burger and Amy E. Turner provide an excellent high-level overview of how U.S. cities can enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the legal obstacles they may face. – Katrina M. Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law and Faculty Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy & Land Use Law, New York University School of LawFor planners, lawyers, and aspiring local climate champions, this book will be a valuable reference for designing municipal plans and policies that fight climate change while staying on the right side of the law. * H-Environment *

Michael Burger is the executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and a senior research scholar at Columbia Law School. His previous books include Global Climate Change and U.S. Law (third edition, 2023). He is also of counsel at Sher Edling LLP.