Low‑turnout net‑zero mandates

Local referendums with modest turnout can lock cities into legally binding, sector‑by‑sector emissions caps that require rapid phase‑outs of gas networks, mass heating conversions, and transport constraints. Such commitments can outpace feasible markets for substitutes (e.g., hydrogen/e‑fuels) and trigger de‑industrialization pressure. — This spotlights a governance risk in climate policy design: direct‑democracy tools can hard‑wire costly decarbonization paths that persist beyond election cycles and reshape regional economies.