London, UK (March 12, 2015) – The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) today welcomed five new members to its global network of cities committed to tackling climate change and increasing urban resilience. The addition of Amman, Durban, Jaipur, Quito, and Salvador brings C40’s overall membership to 75 cities, a key milestone in the organisation’s expansion efforts and a testament to the success of city-to-city collaboration on climate change.
“By taking bold action and collaborating, mayors around the world are driving the climate change agenda on a global scale toward lower emissions and greater resilience,” said C40 Chair and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes. “These five cities truly represent the diversity and ethos of the C40 – they span three continents but are united in their desire to increase the health, well-being and economic opportunities of urban citizens.”
“The C40 network keeps growing because more and more cities are finding opportunities to confront climate change in ways that improve people’s lives today,” said U.N. Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and President of the C40 Board Michael R. Bloomberg. "For the U.N. climate treaty negotiations this December to be successful, nations will have to commit to doing more and acting faster to shrink their carbon footprints – and cities, including the five new members of C40, are helping point the way forward."
The five new member cities represent an estimated 21 million people and have each demonstrated strong leadership in climate action in their regions.