Cities Climate Law Initiative
The Cities Climate Law Initiative works with city legal departments, sustainability offices, partner organizations, and the networks that link them together to provide research, resources, and analysis addressing the legal questions that shape the urban climate transition.
Publications
- Urban Climate Law Michael Burger and Amy E. Turner (October 2023)
- Legal Models for Public-Private City Greening Partnerships Daniel J. Metzger (October 2025)
- Cities, E-Commerce & Public Health: 3 Legal Pathways to Limiting Freight Vehicle Emissions Amy E. Turner (June 2024)
- The Legal Case for Equity in Local Climate Action Planning Amy E. Turner (October 2023)
- Cities Climate Law: A Legal Framework for Local Action in the U.S. Amy E. Turner & Michael Burger (November 2021)
- Smart Surfaces, Smart Cities: Reducing Heat and Promoting Equity in Urban Areas HIllary Aidun (September 2021)
- Legal Tools for Achieving Low Traffic Zones (LTZs): LEZ, ULEZ & Congestion Pricing in the U.S. Law Context Amy E. Turner (February 2020)
Local Climate Action
- 100 Days of Trump 2.0: Considerations for Cities and Community Partners Amy E. Turner (April 2025)
- Inside a Texas Showdown Over Cities’ Role in Adapting to Climate Change Daniel J. Metzger (April 2025)
- Cancelling the Buy Clean Program Will Not Cancel Low Embodied Carbon Construction Daniel J. Metzger (March 2025)
- Seattle, King County & Nonprofits Challenge Washington’s Ballot Initiative Preempting Local Efforts to Phase Out Natural Gas Amy E. Turner (December 2024)
- Cities, Climate & Trump: An Early Research Agenda Amy E. Turner (November 2024)
- In a Devolving Legal and Political Landscape, Cities are the Federal Government’s Secret Weapon on Climate Amy E. Turner (July 2024)
- This Is How We Solve a Heat Crisis Daniel J. Metzger (with Greg Kats) (August 2024)
- The National Heat Strategy is a Strong First Step Daniel J. Metzger (August 2024)
- IECC Appeals Could Undermine Electrification Requirements in New Construction Daniel J. Metzger (March 2024)
- New York City’s Local Law 97: REC Mechanism Lacks Additionality; Will Set Price Too Low Amy E. Turner (November 2022)
- Cooperative Federalism, As Applied: Building Electrification Amy E. Turner (February 2022)
- Emerging Local Legal Pathways for Building Electrification: Air Pollution and Land Use Regulation in New York City & Brookline, Massachusetts Amy E. Turner (May 2021)
- Net-Zero Stretch Code: A New Model for Municipal Building Decarbonization in Massachusetts Amy E. Turner (January 2021)
Federal Support for Local Climate Action
- Supreme Court Signals Challenges to Federal Grant Terminations are Contract Disputes Vincent Nolette (October 2025)
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Considerations for Cities and Community Partners Amy E. Turner (July 2025)
- The End of Nationwide Injunctions for Federal Funding Award Terminations Amy E. Turner (July 2025)
- Solar for All Implementation in 2025 Vincent Nolette (April 2025)
- OMB’s Pause on Climate Grants, Loans, and Other Financial Assistance: Legal Issues and Next Steps for Federal Awardees (Amy E. Turner & Romany Webb (January 2025)
- A Missed Opportunity to Decarbonize Municipal & Nonprofit Buildings: Section 179D Tax Deduction Amy E. Turner (September 2024)
- Cities and the IRA’s Green Banks: Strategies for Engagement Amy E. Turner (May 2024)
- Inflation Reduction Act: Implementation Gaps for Local Governments & How to Close Them Amy E. Turner (May 2023)
- So Your CPRG Application Didn’t Get Funded Amy E. Turner & Vincent Nolette (August 2024)
- Cities: EPA Request for Information on Green Banks Established by the Inflation Reduction Act Amy E. Turner (October 2022)
- Cities & the Inflation Reduction Act Amy E. Turner (August 2022)
Engagement
- Amicus Brief on behalf of the National League of Cities and New York Conference of Mayors in Support of New York City in Association of Contracting Plumbers of the City of New York v. City of New York (2nd Cir.), by Michael Burger, Amy Turner, and Vincent Nolette (November 2025)
- Amicus Brief on behalf of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Support of Plaintiff States in New York v. Trump Vincent Nolette and Amy E. Turner (1st Cir. July 2025)
- Amicus Brief on behalf of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Support of EPA in Nebraska v. EPA Michael Burger, Amy E. Turner, and Vincent Nolette (D.C. Cir. January 2025)
- Amicus Brief submitted by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law in Support of New York City in Glen Oaks Village Owners, et al. v. City of New York, et al., Amy E. Turner, Michael Burger, and Vincent Nolette (N.Y. December 2024)
- Amicus Brief on behalf of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Support of EPA in Kentucky v. EPA Michael Burger, Amy E. Turner, Olivia Guarna, and Vincent Nolette (D.C. Cir. December 2024)
- Amicus Brief on behalf of the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Support of EPA in West Virginia v. EPA, Michael Burger, Amy E. Turner, and Vincent Nolette (D.C. Cir. October 2024)
- Amicus Brief submitted by the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law in Support of New York City's Motion for Leave to Appeal to the New York State Court of Appeals in Local Law 97 case Amy E. Turner, Michael Burger, and Vincent Nolette (N.Y. App. Div. June 2024)
- Amicus Brief National League of Cities, League of California Cities & California State Association of Counties In Support of Defendant-Appellee City of Berkeley's Petition for Rehearing En Banc in California Restaurant Ass'n v. City of Berkeley Michael Burger and Amy E. Turner (9th Cir. June 2023)
- Amicus Brief of the National League of Cities and U.S. Conference of Mayors in Texas v. EPA Michael Burger, Martin Lockman, Andrea Nishi, and Amy E. Turner (D.C. Cir. March 2023).
- Local Government Amicus Brief in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkley Michael Burger, Jennifer Danis and Amy E. Turner (9th Cir. February 2022)
- Local Government Amicus Brief in Competitive Enterprise Institute v. NHTSA Michael Burger and Hillary Aidun (D.C. Cir. January 2021)
- Local Government Amicus Brief in Union of Concerned Scientists v. NHTSA Michael Burger and Hillary Aidun (D.C. CIr. July 2020)
- Local Government Amicus Brief in American Lung Association v. EPA Michael Burger and Hillary Aidun (D.C. Cir. April 2020)
- Comments on EPA's Proposed Rule to Reconsider the Endangerment Finding and Vehicle GHG Standards, Submitted with U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, Climate Mayors and C40 Cities (September 22, 2025)
- Template Letter on EPA's Proposed Endangerment Finding Rollback for Local Government Use (August 28, 2025)
- Comments on EPA's Proposed Rule to Repeal GHG Performance Standards for Power Plants, Submitted with Climate Mayors and C40 Cities (August 7, 2025)
- Written Testimony of Amy Turner before the New York City Department of Buildings (November 14, 2022)
- Written Testimony of Amy Turner before New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection Hearing on Building Electrification and Intro. 2317, (November 17, 2021)
Media
- Cities and states split on EPA proposal to repeal endangerment finding, Utility Dive (Sept. 25, 2025)
- Young People Suing Trump Over Climate Have Their Day in Federal Court N.Y. Times (Sept. 15, 2025)
- What are 'cool roofs,' and how do they work? On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti (Aug. 6, 2025)
- EPA’s move to gut key climate regulation raises stakes for city leaders Smart Cities Dive (July 30, 2025)
- Amid Paused Solar Funding, EPA Floats Workforce Reductions Inside Climate News (January 31, 2025)
- School districts race to invest in cooling solutions as classrooms and playgrounds heat up, Washington Post (September 8, 2024).
- Urban communities that lack shade sizzle when it’s hot. Trees are a climate change solution, AP News (Sept. 28, 2024)
- We’ve been here before’: What Trump’s win could mean for local climate action Smart Cities Dive (Nov. 20, 2024)
- Berkeley’s gas ban was blocked in court. Now a new plan has emerged Canary Media (Sept. 4, 2024)
- New York City Tenants Are Entitled to Heat. What About Air-Conditioning? N.Y. Times (July 17, 2024)
- A major fossil fuel group has a plan to sue Denver over its climate-minded building policies Colorado Public Radio (July 1, 2024)
- Gas bans are being challenged across the country. Mass. could be next Boston Globe (May 29, 2024)
- 3 Key Measures U.S. Cities Can Adopt To Advance Net-Zero Initiatives Forbes (Feb. 19, 2024)
- Berkeley's gas ban is all but dead. What does that mean for other cities? (Jan. 5, 2024)
- Downtown resident sues over congestion pricing, claiming MTA plan will clog West Side Highway Gothamist (Dec. 25, 2023)
- Editorial: New York banned gas from new buildings. Why not California? L.A. Times (May 8, 2023)
Events
- September 21, 2025 Climate Week NYC Panel: From Insight to Ordinance: Data-Driven Policy & Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Climate Resilience, co-sponsored with Smart Surfaces Coalition, National League of Cities, American Public Health Association, and Trust for Public Land.