Guide on Implementing Public Policy for Climate Solutions

In an innovative move, scholars from the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Education are leading a research initiative to uncover the connections between climate transition policies and co-benefits at a municipal level. Steven Kimbrough, a professor in the Department of Operations and Information Management at the Wharton School, and Rand Quinn, an associate professor at the Graduate School of Education, are spearheading this effort as part of the Public Deliberation on Climate Transitions and Well-being Environmental Innovations Initiative (EII) research community.

Over the past two years, Kimbrough, Quinn, and a team of students have developed a protocol to examine the links between climate transition policies and co-benefits, with the support of EII. One specific example they are studying is urban forestry, or the impact of trees in urban areas on climate change and the local community.

Their work highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to climate change policies that considers both environmental benefits and community impacts. For instance, while urban trees offer numerous environmental benefits, such as carbon emissions reduction and temperature relief, there are also concerns about gentrification and maintenance costs, particularly in underserved neighborhoods.

Kimbrough suggests that a tree planting policy should work in conjunction with other policies to ensure that the development of the urban forest mitigates climate risks and benefits the local community. He notes that a cost-benefit assessment may conclude that more trees are better, but it's crucial to address potential negative impacts, such as gentrification and maintenance costs, alongside focusing on environmental benefits.

Quinn adds that the approach of aligning climate change policies with benefits for the local community offers two main advantages: everyone would benefit from better living conditions and health outcomes, and most people do not consider these improvements when climate policies are raised. However, the company-internal persons involved with Kimbrough and Quinn in investigating ways climate change policy can improve people's quality of life have not been publicly specified.

This discussion emphasizes the importance of considering the local community when implementing climate change policies, such as tree planting policies. By focusing on quality of life, these scholars aim to create policies that are not only environmentally friendly but also improve the well-being of the people they affect.