Ahead of the G20 Summit this weekend, the United States and China have reached a formal agreement to ratify the Paris Agreement that was reached last year at COP21. Climate leaders across the world are optimistic about the steps cities and government leaders are taking to commit to taking climate action. Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 weighed in on the milestone:
"Today, the United States and China took a bold step forward by formally joining the Paris Agreement, demonstrating leadership on climate action and answering the call of megacity mayors around the world.
“The United States and China are sending an important message to the other G20 countries, one that mayors around the world also champion: mayors from 30 of the world’s largest cities issued a letter this week calling upon them to collaborate with cities to build a low carbon, climate safe world.
"Mayors pledge to be allies to their national leaders in facing climate change, the greatest political, economic and environmental challenge of our time.
"Decisive, coordinated action today will not only insulate us against a dangerous and unknown future, but will also yield significant economic and public health benefits to urban citizens around the world.”
C40 has 9 member cities from China, and has been a partner helping to facilitate knowledge exchange between Chinese and U.S. cities through the annual U.S.-China Climate-Smart Low-Carbon Cities Summit.