IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

As threats from global climate change increase, cities have increasingly become centers of climate action, both due to their extensive contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and their extreme vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. Transnational Municipal Networks (TMNs) like the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) offer valuable opportunities for learning, collaboration, and support — particularly for cities lacking consistent national backing. The GCoM assists members in calculating baseline emissions, encourages setting target goals, and developing comprehensive planning documents focused on mitigation, adaptation, energy security, and poverty reduction. However, there are concerns that these networks may inadvertently enable “greenwashing.” Member cities can claim a sustainability-focused image without any real force to comply with often difficult and expensive policies needed to enact meaningful change. This paper will add to the literature exploring the impacts of TMN membership, advancing the current literature in several ways: 1) It will expand research on the benefits fo TMNs outside of the European context to the United States where national pressures for green policy are less extensive. 2) Unlike prior studies that primarily rely on policy counts, this research employs a direct, measurable outcome — PM 2.5 satellite data — as a proxy for greenhouse gas emission reductions. 3) A staggered difference-in-differences approach will allow insights into the potential compounding impacts of network membership over time. 4) This research will assess the impact of GCoM compliance badges as a potential source of distinguishing active member cities from those free-riding on network image.