As the hubs of economic activity, cities drive the vast majority of the world's energy use and are major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. Because they are home to major infrastructure and highly concentrated populations, cities are also vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, warmer temperatures and fiercer storms. At the same time, better urban planning and policies can reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and improve the resilience of urban infrastructure to climate change, thus shaping future trends. This book shows how city and metropolitan regional governments working in tandem with national governments can change the way we think about responding to climate change. Local involvement through "climate-conscious" urban planning and management can help achieve national climate goals and minimize trade offs between environmental and economic priorities at local levels.--Publisher's description. pt. 1. Trends. Urbanisation, economic growth and climate change -- Climate change impacts specific to urban regions -- Economic benefits of climate action : the urban dimension -- pt. 2. Competitiveness policies. The urban policy package -- Contribution of cities to a green growth model -- pt. 3. Governance. Multi-level governance : a conceptual framework -- Local and regional governance -- Local-national climate policy linkages -- Financial instruments and funding new expenditure needs -- Building institutions to enhance local knowledge.