Public participation in urban climate policy making

Today, cities and their inhabitants play a key role in the context of anthropogenic climate change. On the one hand, cities are the nexus of the problem, as they contribute to significant greenhouse gas emissions; on the other hand, they represent a tremendous opportunity to reverse these negative processes, as they can, and should, be an area for the implementation of many innovative solutions and strategies to reduce emissions and adapt to a changing climate. Urban residents can play an active role in building climate neutrality of urban areas through their daily choices, behaviour, education, social engagement and influence on political processes. Public participation is crucial to the creation of urban climate policies, to achieve the goals of the continuous fight against a changing climate and to create more sustainable urban communities. It is an important aspect of environmental action because it allows for the inclusion of people's diverse perspectives, needs and experiences. In addition, the integration of the local community, business, academia and policy makers is nowadays key to creating effective urban policies moving towards climate neutrality.

The book "Public participation in urban climate policy making. The example of Łódź." which is the result of cooperation between scientists and practitioners from various scientific centres and cities as well as representatives of local government administration, is addressed to all those for whom cities are a common good and, despite many noticeable shortcomings, are and will remain for many more years the only living environment.