Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Bloomberg Philanthropies Releases Report on Importance of Local Climate Actions in U.S.
Ahead of the Climate Leadership Conference, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Innovation Network for Communities released “Leadership by U.S. Cities: Innovations in Climate Action,” with forewords by United States Secretary of State John F. Kerry and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R. Bloomberg. The report focuses on developments in climate action, from insights to innovations, taken by cities across the United States.
“Cities played a critical role in generating the momentum that led to the success of the Paris negotiations,” said Secretary Kerry. “This Bloomberg Philanthropies report highlights the important work being done by U.S. cities to implement practical solutions to reduce emissions and to adapt to climate change. Cities are uniquely positioned to experiment with bold new ideas both for reducing impacts and for minimizing emissions.”
“Cities are acting because the stakes are very high and the incentives are very strong,” said UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change Michael R. Bloomberg. “Mayors see climate change as an immediate economic and public health issue. They are the officials most directly responsible for people’s safety and well-being, and they’re not taking chances. That’s why some of the most innovative climate solutions are coming from mayors. This progress is being accelerated by collaboration and partnership.”
At least 116 local U.S. governments have set ambitious GHG reduction targets, and five patterns have emerged among the 26 leading cities spotlighted in the report. Those patterns include:
- Cities are uncoupling growth from carbon
- Cities are transforming core urban systems: transportation, buildings, solid waste and energy supply.
- Cities’ climate actions are delivering impressive “co-benefits”
- Cities are engaging local stakeholders in ambition, sustained climate action
- Federal and state governments are adopting policies that enable cities’ climate action
- Hundreds of U.S. cities are actively engaging with each other and with cities around the world to share information about, experiences with, and the tools of climate action. These types of exchanges and information sharing experiences are essential for continued global action on addressing and mitigating the effects of climate change.
An essential element of cities’ new capacity for climate actions includes the ability to measure GHG emissions, which is why more than 125 U.S. cities have committed to 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.
Read the full “Leadership by U.S. Cities: Innovations in Climate Action” report here: http://bloombg.org/1QytNdb