While 2017 produced new challenges for global climate action with the U.S. announcement of planned withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, 2018 provides opportunities for exciting new players to step up as climate leaders on a local, national, and international scale.

In 2018, you’re going to hear the term "subnational" thrown around a lot in the climate space. In fact, we'll go so far as to predict it’s the word of the year on climate change.

But what does it mean? As the name suggests, subnational action happens at levels below central governments. For implementation of climate action, that means "subnationals" are states, cities, regions, investors, NGOs, faith groups, and more.

Subnational actors can be remarkably influential on global challenges like climate change. When you consider that cities, for example, consume over two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions, it’s no surprise that subnational actors can play a major role both in contributing to and solving global climate change. In a piece for Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, United Nations Foundation Senior Fellow Sue Biniaz shares a checklist of ways U.S. cities and states can engage internationally on climate action.

Read the full article about the meaning of the word "subnational" by Justine Sullivan at United Nations Foundation.