Politics, institutions and entrepreneurship: city decisions leading to inventoried GHG emissions

Abstract

Local governments in the USA and around the globe are increasingly active in promoting energy efficiency and sustainability both in their governmental operations and in the wider community. Although in many countries, it is cities rather than the national government that have taken the lead role in reducing GHG emissions, we know little about what factors account for local adoption of climate protection at city level. In response, this article investigates how political and institutional factors, as well as various public entrepreneurs affect the adoption of GHG inventories in cities and differences in policies directed at emissions from the larger community versus governmental operations. The results confirm that elected mayors and civic entrepreneurs promote carbon reduction in the larger community, but managers and bureaucratic entrepreneurs focus their efforts on carbon emissions of governmental organizations.