C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group announced today in Rio de Janeiro that Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has been elected to succeed Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes as C40 Chair. The C40 Steering Committee elected her unanimously to the position, where she will provide strategic direction and governance to the organization.
“C40 member cities are determining the course of our planet’s future,” said Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo. “Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Paes, C40 is a unique forum where cities can collaborate, share knowledge and drive measurable and sustainable action on climate change. I am honoured to be elected as Chair, and look forward to working with the mayors of the world’s great cities to create a sustainable and equitable future for all of our citizens.”
Mayor Hidalgo will bring a focused agenda to her tenure as C40 Chair, to ensure the world’s largest and most influential cities are mobilized to deliver the historic Paris Agreement. Her priorities will include:
- Securing new investments and financing for green and resilient cities;
- Supporting more cities to become compliant with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy;
- Encouraging inclusive and sustainable growth in cities; and
- Recognizing the leadership of women in tackling climate change.
Mayor Hidalgo will build upon Mayor Paes’ significant accomplishments during his tenure as C40 Chair. Under his leadership, the organisation achieved a significant increase in participation from the Global South, including new member cities from China, India, the Philippines, Africa and the Middle East. For the first time in its history, C40 now includes equal number of cities from the Global North and Global South. C40 also delivered on Mayor Paes’ other strategic objectives, including launching the C40 Cities Finance Facility; building the resilience of cities and developing the concept of polisdigitocracy as a tool to tackle climate change.
“It has been a great honour to lead such an incredibly effective global organization during this critical time in our global fight against climate change,” said current C40 Chair and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes. “The years from now to 2020 will be even more crucial in determining if the world can secure a climate safe future, and cities will play a leading role. Fortunately, the C40 network has a great champion in Mayor Hidalgo, and I am supremely confident in her ability to provide the strategic vision necessary to ensure C40 cities deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement.”
“As Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo has developed some of the world’s most innovative policies to confront climate change and reduce air pollution, and as co-host of the Climate Summit for Local Leaders at Paris City Hall during COP21, her leadership was instrumental in securing a strong global climate agreement,” said C40 Board President and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R. Bloomberg. “I know she’ll bring the same commitment and vision to her role as C40 Chair, and I look forward to continuing to work together.”
Mayor Hidalgo will Chair the C40 Steering Committee, which is made up of C40 member city mayors, elected by their peers to represent the geographic diversity of the network. Currently the C40 Steering Committee includes the mayors of Amman, Boston, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul.
The Chair ceremonial handover will happen during the C40 Mayors Summit 2016, taking place in Mexico City from November 30th to December 2nd. As the foremost global gathering of mayors of the world’s megacities the C40 Mayors Summit will set the agenda for a climate safe world in the years ahead.
Mayor Paes has held the role of C40 Chair since February 2014. Previous C40 Chairs include former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former Toronto Mayor David Miller and former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
C40 also announced the opening of a permanent C40 office in Rio de Janeiro, at the Museum of Tomorrow.