Together these two cities represent nearly 20 million urban citizens
Los Angeles, U.S. (September 15, 2015): Today, during the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit in Los Angeles, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group announced the addition of Chinese megacities Guangzhou and Nanjing to its global network of cities tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces both greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, whilst increasing well-being for urban citizens.
Hosted by the City of Los Angeles and Mayor Eric Garcetti, a member of C40’s Steering Committee, the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit marks the first effort of the U.S.-China Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Initiative, launched during last November’s historic climate talks between U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. By bringing together leading cities from both countries, the Summit presents a key opportunity to build high-level political momentum for strong climate action in the lead up to December’s United Nations climate conference in Paris.
“Cities are crucial partners to nations in setting and meeting ambitious climate targets on the road to Paris and beyond; nowhere is this more true than in China, where the number and size of megacities is rapidly growing,” said C40 Chair, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes. “Welcoming Guangzhou and Nanjing to the C40 during the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Summit seems very fitting. The addition of these two great Chinese cities enriches the fabric of our global network as we seek to create livable cities for urban citizens today, and a sustainable future for generations to come. For the first time, 50 percent of C40’s membership is from the Global South, which as a Mayor from the Global South, I am very proud of.”
Stepping up engagement in China has been a strategic pillar of Mayor Paes’ tenure as C40 Chair. In May of this year, he met with China’s Premier Premier Li Keqiang in Rio de Janeiro to discuss advancement of climate action in Chinese cities and ways to strengthen C40’s relationships in China.
"By joining the C40 network, Guangzhou and Nanjing are building on the leadership Chinese cities are showing in the run-up to this year's climate talks in Paris,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, C40 Board President and UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change. “Their efforts will help China reach its emissions goals – and fuel even greater collaboration across borders."
Home to an estimated 12.5 million people, Guangzhou is the third largest Chinese city and the largest city in South Central China. Nanjing, a city of 8 million, is the capital and largest city of Jiangsu province on the eastern coast. Together, these cities bring nearly 20 million urban citizens into the C40 network.
“Guangzhou is committed to low carbon urban development, and has expertise in this area that can be shared with other C40 cities,” said Vice Mayor of Guangzhou Cai Chaolin. “We look forward to forming good and productive partnerships with similar cities across the C40 network, and working together towards a sustainable, low carbon future.”
“We are very pleased to join this global network of cities invested in creating better, healthier places to live for citizens everywhere,” said Deputy Mayor of Nanjing Wu Weiguo. “Through the C40 we can share knowledge and learn best practice from other cities facing similar challenges. Nanjing has a strong record of investing in low emission vehicles and electric buses, for example, an area of interest for many C40 cities.”
Guangzhou and Nanjing join Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan to bring C40’s membership in China to seven cities – representing 90 million people and a GDP of US$2.69 trillion.
About the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, now in its 10th year, connects more than 80 of the world’s greatest cities, representing 600+ million people and one quarter of the global economy. Created and led by cities, C40 is focused on tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks, while increasing the health, wellbeing and economic opportunities of urban citizens. The current chair of the C40 is Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes; three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit www.c40.org, follow us on Twitter @c40cities and like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/C40Cities