2. Motivation for action

With scientific evidence showing an unprecedented rate of climate change – a rate much faster than anticipated a few years ago – more active climate protection engagement is needed around the globe. In this context individuals and the community level play a vital role, and there are also considerable expectations by citizens that national governments will take the lead. Yet engagement is slow, and this raises questions regarding the motivation for action and how to get widespread engagement, particularly at the local level. Some issues that have motivated action include experiencing the local impact of climate change and a realisation that it has a security impact (from many different perspectives – from climate migration to socio-economic impacts). Studies that address the cost of action and inaction have placed climate change on the political map, and community leaders that have engaged from various angles such as improving air quality have gained multiple benefits for the community and the environment, as an indirect approach to local climate action. This chapter explores why the local level urgently needs to engage, and what its representatives – political leaders, staff and citizens – need to know about what they are dealing with, and why they should deal with it.