MAYOR GARCETTI ANNOUNCES MAYORS OF NEW YORK, CHICAGO, WASHINGTON D.C. AND DALLAS JOIN NATIONAL COALITION OF #CLIMATEMAYORS
As world leaders prepare for UN climate negotiations, Mayors’ National Climate Action Agenda releases Compendium of City Climate Action; #ClimateMayors mark countdown to Paris talks with Twitter dialogue beginning October 30 at 10 a.m. PST
LOS ANGELES – November 2, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — With 30 days to go before world leaders convene under the United Nations banner to negotiate a new global agreement to combat climate change, Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings have joined the Mayors’ National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA), bringing the total to 32 mayors and cities across the United States.
Also known as the #ClimateMayors (ClimateMayors.tumblr.com), the coalition is calling on the U.S. to demonstrate powerful leadership and steer the Paris talks toward a strong agreement that would lead to measurable improvements in the world’s climate, human health, and quality of life. Mayor Garcetti noted that amidst Congressional gridlock on climate action, America’s Mayors have stepped up to develop clean energy sources, build electric and alternative fuel infrastructure, and enforce green building standards as their cities have faced the increasing effects of climate change.
“When climate change contributes to drought, extreme weather, wildfires and flooding, cities are on the front lines, and we cannot afford political debate. We call on our nation’s leaders to act like mayors and confront problems, not politics, to work toward truly meaningful national and global climate change policies that will make a difference in the health of our people and the health of our planet,” Mayor Garcetti and the 31 other #ClimateMayors said in a joint statement.
Today, the #ClimateMayors also released the Compendium of City Climate Action (lamayor.org/compendium), detailing emission reduction targets, key policies, and new actions in 24 municipalities. Mayor Garcetti added that he and his fellow Mayors would count down the 30 days until the Paris talks by highlighting city-level climate action successes online, using the hashtag #ClimateMayors. Today at 10 a.m. PST, mayors will engage in a Twitter dialogue on climate action in their cities.
The MNCAA — founded by Mayor Garcetti, Houston Mayor Annise Parker, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter — commits U.S. mayors to working together to strengthen local efforts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to supporting efforts for binding federal and global-level policymaking. The MNCAA is complemented at the international level by the Compact of Mayors, a global cooperative effort among more than 100 mayors and city officials committed to reducing local greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing resilience to climate change, and tracking progress transparently.
Mayor Garcetti, who recently hosted a landmark meeting between American and Chinese officials that led to the “U.S.-China Climate Leaders Declaration,” is committed to making Los Angeles a leader in fighting climate change. His Sustainable City Plan (plan.lamayor.org) sets a target of reducing Los Angeles’ greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050. He has also committed to making the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — the nation’s largest municipal utility — coal-free, which, in the wake of the city’s recent divestment from the coal-powered Navajo Generating Station, is now on track to happen by 2025.
Mayor Garcetti is also focused on achieving aggressive and ambitious solar power and green building targets detailed in the Sustainable City Plan. He currently serves as a member of President Obama’s Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, co-founded the Mayors’ National Climate Action Agenda, is on the C40 Steering Committee, and has joined the Compact of Mayors.
