Cities Climate Action Report Card
This project evaluates the transparency, integrity and leadership of cities’ decarbonization policies.
Overview
The Cities Climate Action Report Card (CCARC) serves as a framework for evaluating the transparency, integrity, and leadership of cities’ decarbonization and net-zero pledges, plans, and implementation efforts. The framework operationalizes expert recommendations for high-integrity climate action into a set of indicators to assess city climate mitigation action for transparent communication and alignment with high-integrity standards.
Objectives
- Developing a framework to evaluate the transparency, integrity and leadership of cities’ decarbonization and net-zero actions that aligns with international frameworks
- Creating a comparable benchmark for cities to determine good net-zero practice
- Identifying gaps and areas for further policy attention.
Insights
Press Release: New Scorecard of Cities’ Climate Action Released at Start of COP29 Climate Conference
The Cities Climate Action Report Card (CCARC) is a new tool that measures the transparency, integrity, and leadership of cities’ net-zero pledges, climate action plans, and implementation strategies. Building on foundational scientific recommendations from...
Background Reading
Net Zero Stocktake 2025
Net Zero Tracker (2025) Net Zero Stocktake 2025: NewClimate Institute, Oxford Net Zero, Energy and Climate
Intelligence Unit, and Data-Driven EnviroLab
Assessing Subnational Climate Action in G-20 Cities and Regions: Progress and Ambition
Song, Kaihui, Burley Farr, Katherine and Hsu, Angel, Assessing subnational climate action in G20 cities and regions: Progress and ambition, One Earth (2024), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.10.001.
Envisioning the Future of Non-State Climate Action Data and Accountability
Hsu, A. and M. Schletz. (2023). Envisioning the Future of Non-State Climate Action Data and Accountability. Data-Driven EnviroLab. Available at: https://datadrivenlab.org/wpcontent/uploads/2023/11/Future_of_NSA_Data_Accountability_Nov2023.pdf.
Performance determinants show European cities are delivering on climate mitigation
Contributors
Katherine Burley-Farr
UNC-Chapel Hill, PhD Student (Public Policy)
Angel Hsu, PhD
Principal Investigator
PhD, Environmental Policy
Will Carney
UNC-Chapel Hill ’26
Christian Chung
Duke University, Master of Public Policy Student



