Reviewing the Impact and Cost-Effectiveness for Local Climate Action within the United States: A Literature Review

As federal policy shifts, state local governments have emerged as central leaders in the fight against climate change. These government leaders are developing extensive Climate Action Plans (CAPs) to cut carbon emissions and adapt to environmental changes, ranging from streamlining green building permits to launching regional energy networks. However, there is a critical need to understand which strategies are most effective. 

This literature review, developed by researchers in the J-PAL network, is a comprehensive resource that synthesizes the results of 161 rigorous evaluations of climate actions conducted in high-income countries after 2000. The review categorizes climate actions into five main areas: Energy, Transportation, Solid Waste, Water, and Agriculture/Conservation. In addition to providing climate leaders with a roadmap of proven solutions and common pitfalls, this resource also highlights important gaps in evidence where more research is critical to inform effective climate action.

Please see the J-PAL resource, Reviewing the Impact and Cost-Effectiveness of Local Climate Action within the United States, for a high-level summary of key policy insights from this literature review. For more information on J-PAL North America’s climate action work, visit our Evidence for Climate Action Project webpage.