Cities: The New Form of International Environmental Governance

Traditionally, international environmental agreements have taken the form of national bilateral or multilateral commitments made by the national governments of the respective parties. With the increased urbanization that happened in the twentieth century, the world has seen a growing number of collaborations happening at the city level between local governments. This movement began in the early 1900s and grew considerably in number starting in the 1990s, reflecting the growing prominence of cities as global actors in environmental action and sustainability transitions. This chapter examines the different dynamics cities apply with their host national governments and international organizations. It covers the key tools within their hands that empower them to become global actors. The chapter then explores the key blind spots cities display as global actors, highlighting the limitations that they face in acting as a parallel platform for international environmental governance.