Chapter 14 - Climate Change Mitigation from a Bottom-up Community Approach

Abstract

Throughout the world, increasing attention is being paid to climate change mitigation. But while ambitious national targets are hard to come by, several regions, cities, towns, institutions, and individuals have taken matters into their own hands. Rather than awaiting international agreement or national targets, these established their own ambitious targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and are in the process of findings ways and means to meet these targets. The ambitious targets on a sub national level which cannot replace ambitious national and international targets are reviewed here. In as much as the reductions would be limited and there would be a plenty of free riders. Various levels serve as impetuous for more ambitious targets by demonstrating a will to policy makers as well as finding and demonstrating feasible options. It helps confront the previous paradigm that fossil-fueled economies are the only viable options and renewable energy systems cannot supply the required energy services at a competitive cost.