ABSTRACT
This chapter contributes to an emerging but increasingly vibrant debate about the role of cities in transitions to low-carbon energy futures. It assesses the intermediary contexts constituted for the purpose of low-carbon urban transitions. The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) since 1986 has worked to coordinate the actions of the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities on cross-boundary strategic areas such as transport and waste that are seen as most effectively organized at a metropolitan scale. The Executive of AGMA agreed in principle to support the establishment of a Climate Change Agency (CCA) across the city region. The development of the CCA was the product of a confluence of activities that sought to coordinate local actions and sustainable economic strategy at a city-regional scale. The Mini-Stern sought to calculate the cost of climate change for the Manchester city-region and possible strategic responses in the short-to-medium term particularly given international pressures and national legislation on climate change.
