Local climate contracts as a scaling mechanism for corporate engagement

Viable Cities is based on the premise that collaboration between different actors is required to succeed in the mission of Climate Neutral Cities 2030 with a good life for all within the planet's limits. This study explores the role and opportunities of businesses in relation to the local climate contracts that just over half of the 23 cities participating in the Viable Cities Climate Neutral Cities 2030 initiative have implemented, thereby engaging over 500 businesses. Several cities also use local climate contracts to engage more types of actors, not least among civil society, but the focus of this report is on collaboration with businesses. The cities use various terms such as agreements, commitments and membership for their organised collaboration with companies, among others, based on some form of mutual agreement. Throughout the report, the term "local climate contract" is used as a collective term to contrast it with the contract that the city signs with Viable Cities and the authorities: Climate Contract 2030. The study focuses on collaboration with the private sector and only briefly touches on the relationship with municipal or other publicly owned companies. It is not an evaluation of local climate contracts in terms of their impact on climate transition work. Instead, the aim has been to share experiences, find clues for joint development and identify knowledge gaps. It is also important to emphasise that cities engage in extensive collaboration with various actors, with local climate contracts being one of many tools, and that the toolbox is constantly evolving, which is why the results of this study need to be placed in a broader context. The study was conducted solely through analysis of publicly available written material. Further work could include other sources, such as interviews and workshops with representatives from both municipalities and companies. Such more interactive work would also be better able to capture the extensive work behind a local climate contract as an ongoing and complex process whose design and implementation are a consequence of many factors, such as resources, organisation, history and political orientation.