Cities Leading on Climate Action: A Comparison of Los Angeles’s and Boston’s Green New Deals

Background: The Green New Deal (GND) is a promising approach to simultaneously address the climate crisis and inequality through a programme of targeted public investment. It is a visionary framework for governments to radically shift their climate policy to focus on decarbonization, inequity, and a just transition. Extant GND literature primarily focuses on national plans, the European Green Deal, and increasingly on the need for a Global GND. However, cities across the United States and globally have also begun to adopt GNDs. While there is a burgeoning literature on municipal climate action, the emergence of city-level GNDs has not been addressed. Methods: This project includes a qualitative comparative analysis of Boston’s and Los Angeles’s GNDs, including elite interviews with relevant policymakers and stakeholders. We employ Vogel and Henstra’s comparative local policy analysis to analyze the policy content and policy process of each GND. Results: GNDs are an impactful tool for cities to address climate, inequity, and justice. They are considered more comprehensive, holistic, specific, and coordinated than previous municipal climate plans. We also discuss the reasons that each city adopted a GND, as well as the factors that shaped them. We conclude by providing lessons for policymakers across North America in adopting their own city-level GNDs. Conclusion: Boston and Los Angeles are useful examples for other cities considering adopting a GND. The GND is an exciting approach to support policymakers and organizations in creating a more equitable and sustainable future for everyone.