Not according to plan: A novel, transdisciplinary methodology to evaluate climate action plans in cities

Cities are formulating Climate Action Plans (CAPs) with pledges to reduce emissions and achieve net-zero status. Such plans could deliver significant benefits, however, there is currently no systematic, validated approach to assess the quality of CAPs. Without systematic evaluation, CAPs will remain merely aspirational documents, having no clear way to ensure intended climate and societal impacts. This project will develop a novel method to systematically evaluate CAPs at the intersection of environmental, economic, social, health, and behavioural sciences. This transdisciplinary approach will enable a comparative global-scale analysis of CAPs, contributing to scientific breakthroughs in climate action and accountability worldwide.