Today, Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, announced that they will co-chair the Climate Summit for Local Leaders, on December 4, 2015, during the Paris Climate Conference – COP21.
Mr. Bloomberg said:
"If we rise to the challenge, the U.N. summit in December can be a decisive moment in the global effort to confront climate change – and it is fitting that it will take place here in Paris, a city that has so often been at the center of world events. But in order for COP21 to have a major impact on climate change, nations will have to set more ambitious targets for reducing carbon, and create realistic plans for achieving those targets. Mayor Hidalgo and I know that cities can help them do both. The summit we are co-hosting in December will help ensure that city voices are heard at COP21, and that their efforts are reflected in the negotiations."
The Climate Summit for Local Leaders will feature the Compact of Mayors, a global coalition of mayors and city officials pledging to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate change, and track their progress transparently. To date, more than 80 cities have committed to the Compact—representing more than 280 million people worldwide or over four percent of the global population. An especially strong push for further commitments is being made in the run-up to COP21 and the Climate Summit for Local Leaders, so that cities, local and subnational governments are prepared to show their strong support, and act on, an international climate agreement.
Read the full press release here.
Read an opinion piece by Michael Bloomberg and Mayor Hidalgo here.
Learn more about the Compact of Mayors here.