Rising to the Challenge of Sustainability: Three Cases of Climate and Energy Governance

Abstract

This chapter explores the efforts of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), the corporate social responsibility of Motorola, and the proposed public-private partnership of Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It utilizes a three-part analytical framework for each case study, describing each project, elaborating its benefits, and discussing its challenges. The CCI shows that targeted action is needed to overcome split incentives in the market, provide information and knowledge, measure emissions credibly, and connect lenders and manufacturers with political leaders in order to address the major sources of GHGs. By operating at a nexus of business, politics, lenders, and experts, CCI is able to bring together the necessary actors to advance projects with supportable business plans and sustainable financing mechanisms that can serve as scalable models for others to follow. © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.