American Cities Lead the Way Amongst 25 Climate Change Projects Competing to be C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017 Winners
Eleven US cities, including Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., are amongst the 25 finalists announced today for the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017. These projects represent the most ambitious and innovative efforts by mayors of the world’s great cities to tackle climate change. The fifth-annual C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards, will celebrate the best projects across five categories: building energy efficiency & clean energy; sustainable transportation; reducing waste; climate action plans, and adaptation plans & programmes.
Given the increasingly important role cities must play in driving climate action in the United States, the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017 will have a special focus on the leadership of US cities on the global stage. Each category of the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017 will have a winner from an American city and a city from the rest of the world.
The winners of the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017 will be announced in Chicago, at the North American Climate Summit.
“Congratulations to every city that has been selected as a finalist of the C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017,” said Mayor of Paris and Chair of C40, Anne Hidalgo. “The urgency of the climate crisis facing the world means that we need to be constantly recognising the best ideas in how cities can tackle climate change. Every one of these projects deserves to be closely studied by mayors and city leaders around the world. I wish each city the very best of luck.”
“Mayors around the world are working harder than ever to fight climate change because they understand the immediate benefits of action, and this year’s group of C40 finalists highlights the critical role cities play in speeding global progress,” said UN Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and C40 Board President, Michael R. Bloomberg. “Nearly half of the finalist projects are in American cities, and they will help ensure that the U.S. reaches our Paris Agreement goal, no matter what happens in Washington. Cities are leading the way on every continent, and the C40 Awards are a chance to highlight great ideas and help them spread.”
“The C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2017 celebrates dramatic local action on the environment, and I am proud that the winners will be announced here in Chicago,” said Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel. “Chicago will also be home to the first-ever North American Climate Summit, which will convene Mayors from across the US, Canada and Mexico to exchange ideas and strengthen coordination in our common fight for a sustainable future. I look forward to convening leaders from around the world to identify ways to further improve our climate while building 21st century communities.”
C40 received 174 applications from 92 cities, which were assessed by a selection committee of urban sustainability and climate change experts at C40 and Sustainia, to identify the finalists. Sustainia partners with C40 each year to produce Cities100, a publication that showcases 100 of the best urban climate solutions from around the world. An independent jury panel, including experts in climate change, urban development and city government will evaluate each of the finalist projects, before selecting winners in each category.