Tag: Los Angeles

As U.S. mayors gather in Washington D.C. for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting they sent a clear message that they will continue to take bold action in their cities to tackle the climate crisis head-on, with or without federal support.  

The great Italian writer Italo Calvino once wrote “You take delight not in a city's seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.” Indeed, throughout human history, people have looked to cities for answers – to questions of economics, trade, public health, culture and education. This week, as national leaders begin to consider how they will deliver on the deal agreed at the international climate negotiations in Paris, they should turn to cities once again for answers.

An op-ed by Eduardo Paes, C40 Chair and Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, and Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles

Together these two cities represent nearly 20 milion urban citizens.

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.

C40 mayors around the United States were eager to support President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which was finalized Monday and is seen as a key component of the country’s climate commitment for the COP21 climate negotiations at the end of the year.

United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping recently signed an historic deal setting the groundwork for both countries to make significant strides to halt global climate change*. The deal represents unprecedented collaboration between the two nations on climate, yet the agreement does not outline a comprehensive plan to achieve the agreed-upon reductions – which is where cities come in.