The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook helps state, provincial, and regional governments implement policies and actions that place their communities on an aggressive path toward sustainable, low-carbon economies. It is a companion to The Carbon-Free City Handbook, which Rocky Mountain Institute launched in November 2017 at COP23 in Bonn, Germany.

Local governments all over the world are already taking ambitious action to reduce carbon while strengthening their ability to thrive in the 21st century. That work is the bounty that feeds this handbook. Other governments can learn from their peers, adapt these best practices, and progress faster.

State, provincial, and regional government action is essential to unlock what cities can do. And their action can help create collective impact across community jurisdictions, bridging boundaries that might otherwise impede those efforts. Regional governments are also essential to reaching rural communities. Cities and rural communities rely on one another for different needs, and uniting for climate action can substantially scale their collective impact. Although regional action is important on its own, it can have a considerable effect in moving the municipalities and businesses within a region’s borders.