Appendix D. Interview guides 

Interview guide 1. Strategic level 

1. Is the municipality engaged in any international, European or national voluntary climate city networks? If yes, which?
2. Which kind of support does the municipality get from its engagement in this network? 
3. Which is the responsible department / division for the development of the climate plan? 
4. How is the climate plan anchored in other departments/divisions? (e.g. do you have a board with representatives from different units/departments/divisions)? 
5. Do you have any mechanism/tool/methodology to estimate the trade-offs between the climate goals vs. economic and social issues?
6. What are the main challenges to promoting coordination across sectors within the municipality to meet climate goals?
7. What are the main challenges to aligning the climate goals with regional and national authorities?
8. How do you finance the implementation of climate initiatives across the departments? 
9. Do you have climate funds in your municipal budget? 
10. Which kind of instruments (economic, regulations, information) do you use to steer development towards climate neutrality?

1. How was the climate goal set for the municipality?
2. Which methodology was used to set this goal?
3. What is the baseline emission year the municipality works with for pursuing this goal? 
4. Which kind of GHG emission inventory does the municipality employ to account for the emissions?
5. Through which sectors does the municipality aim to pursue this goal?
6. How does the municipality monitor its progress towards climate neutrality?
7. What are the main challenges related to curbing the emissions in the municipality? 
8. What are the opportunities to achieve the goals? 

1. In the NC-NC project, we analyse how municipalities in the Nordic Region seek to become carbon-neutral, with a focus on spatial planning tools and practices. To this end, we have selected a number of sectors: (1) Land use; (2) Buildings; (3) Transport and mobility. What is your opinion about our selection? Any advice? 
2. Which documents would you recommend us to read related to the sectors mentioned? 
3. Could you share the contact details of people from these various sectors that we could interview? 

Interview guide 2. Land use sector 

1. What are the overarching goals of the municipality regarding urban development and land use for carbon neutrality?

1. How does the municipality plan for urban expansion: (i) outward sprawl; (ii) upward, by way of vertical growth; or (iii) infill/brownfield development, where unused, abandoned or underutilised lands within existing urban areas are developed or rehabilitated. 

2. What kind of urban form model is the municipality following (compact city, 15 minute city, doughnut city)? How?

3. If compact city is the model: How does the municipality deal with densification? Are there any regulations that limit/impede the consumption of natural land?

4. How are the land use zones established?

2. Does the municipality have land use mitigation /adaptation strategies to enhance carbon neutrality?

1. What are the strategies for the preservation and development of green and blue infrastructures? E.g. afforestation, green factor indicators

3. Does the municipality follow any guidelines/indicators to estimate the carbon emissions resulting from the consumption of land?

1. Is the effectiveness of land use strategies for climate neutrality estimated?

4. Does the municipality make use of innovative regulations or incentives/disincentives to use the urban land more efficiently? E.g. Incentives for developers or developing particular areas of the city, implementation of particular functions to promote mixed uses.

5. What are the synergies and conflicts between regulations at different governance levels? 
6. What are the municipal departments involved in land use regulations, mitigation and adaptation strategies? Are there cross-sectoral challenges?
7. Does your department have the necessary expertise to deal with climate goals related to land use?
8. Do you exchange knowledge and experiences with other municipalities or networks to learn how to pursue carbon neutrality through urban land use? What is the role of networks?

9. What are the main challenges to regulating land use planning for pursuing climate neutrality in your municipality?
10. What are the opportunities?
11. Do you consider the trade-offs between pursuing climate objectives and social and economic goals? If yes, how? Do have any tool, methodology, procedure to do this?

12. Do you have any best practice in terms of policy/instruments/regulations that you use to pursue carbon neutrality through land use regulations?
13. Which documents would you recommend us to read to have a better overview of the strategies related to land use for carbon neutrality? Is there anyone else that we could interview to get a better understanding?

Interview guide 3. Buildings and construction sector 

1. What are the overarching goals of the municipality regarding the buildings sector for carbon neutrality?
2. Are buildings’ emissions monitored? If yes, how? What kind of indicators are used? (ask if there are documents on the matter) 
3. How is energy efficiency in new construction regulated? What are the standards/requirements?
4. How is energy retrofitting of the existing building stock regulated? 
5. What are the existing incentives and support schemes? Are they at national or local level? 

6. What are the synergies and conflicts between regulations at different governance levels?

• Is there enough funding?

• Does the national level have specific expectations without giving the necessary financial support?

• Are all the needed regulations in place?

7. What are the municipal departments involved in buildings’ regulations? Are there cross-sectoral challenges?
8. Does your department have the necessary expertise to deal with climate goals related to buildings?
9. Do you exchange knowledge and experiences with other municipalities or networks to learn how to pursue carbon neutrality through the buildings sector? What is the role of networks?

10. What are the main challenges to regulating buildings’ energy efficiency for pursuing climate neutrality in your municipality?
11. What are the opportunities?
12. Do you consider the trade-offs between pursuing climate objectives and social and economic goals? If yes, how? Do have any tool, methodology, procedure to do this? 

13. Do you have any best practice in terms of policy/instruments/regulations that you use to pursue carbon neutrality through building regulations?
14. Which documents would you recommend us to read to have a better overview of the strategies related to buildings’ regulations for carbon neutrality? Is there anyone else that we could interview to get a better understanding?

Interview guide 4. Mobility and transport sector 

1. What are the overarching goals of the municipality regarding transport and mobility for carbon neutrality?
2. Are the emissions of modes of transport monitored? If yes, how? What kind of indicators are used? (ask if there are documents on the matter)
3. What are the existing incentives and support schemes? Are they at national or local level?

1. Incentives for electric cars

2. Traffic tolls

3. Parking fees 

4. What are the synergies and conflicts between regulations at different governance levels?

• Is there enough funding?

• Does the national level have specific expectations without giving the necessary financial support?

• Are all the needed regulations in place?

5. What are the municipal departments involved in transport and mobility regulations? Are there cross-sectoral challenges?
6. Does your department have the necessary expertise to deal with climate goals related to transport and mobility?
7. Do you exchange knowledge and experiences with other municipalities or networks to learn how to pursue carbon neutrality through urban mobility and transport? What is the role of networks?

1. What are the main challenges to regulating transport and mobility for pursuing climate neutrality in your municipality?
2. What are the opportunities?
3. Do you consider the trade-offs between pursuing climate objectives and social and economic goals? If yes, how? Do have any tool, methodology, procedure to do this? 

4. Do you have any best practice in terms of policy/instruments/regulations that you use to pursue carbon neutrality through transport and mobility?
5. Which documents would you recommend us to read to have a better overview of the strategies related to transport and mobility for carbon neutrality? Is there anyone else that we could interview to get a better understanding?

Interview guide 5. National climate networks 

1. Could you provide us with an overview of the work (tasks, mandate) your organisation performs in supporting municipalities to pursue carbon neutrality?
2. How do municipalities become affiliated with your organisation? Are there any selection criteria or requirements to join? If so, which?
3. How do you interact with the municipalities affiliated with your organisation? (e.g. How often? Which kind of forums?
4. Does your organisation enhance the exchange of knowledge between the municipalities? If yes, how?
5. Do you collaborate with other international networks (e.g. C40) or Nordic networks (CONCITO, HINKU, Viable Cities)? If yes, how? If not, would you be interested in sharing experiences with the Nordic networks? E.g. Would you be willing to participate in a panel online discussion with the other networks of cities that strive for climate neutrality?

6. Does your organisation employ a standard procedure (e.g. C40 guidelines or other) to measure and monitor the emissions of all affiliated municipalities? If yes, please explain. 
7. If not, please explain how the municipalities account for their emissions?
8. Is there any national database with available data for calculation/monitoring of the emissions at the local level? If yes, which one? If not, from where do the municipalities get information about the emissions?
9. What are the most challenging data/indicators to get information about? 

10. How is the work of the municipalities towards carbon neutrality developing? Is there growing interest from the municipalities in getting support/advice to pursue climate neutrality?
11. Which sectors have been the most challenging/promising in terms of curbing emissions?
12. What are the main challenges? (e.g. multilevel governance misalignment- incoherence between national and local strategies, funding, lack of knowledge)
13. In your opinion, what are the most effective instruments (incentives, information, regulations) to steer the development towards climate neutrality?

14. In the NC-NC project, we analyse how municipalities in the Nordic Region seek to become carbon neutral, with a focus on spatial planning tools and practices. To this end, we have selected a number of sectors: (1) Land use; (2) buildings; (3) Transport and mobility. What is your opinion about your selection?
15. We are studying the following cities X and X in your country. Would you like to share some knowledge about them?
16. Would you share some documents that would help us gain a better overview of the work you perform with the municipalities?