In a fact sheet released today by the White House, President Obama challenged all Mayors to publicly commit to a climate action plan ahead of the Paris UN meeting, and has set a goal of having at least 100 US cities that have signed onto the Compact of Mayors by the end of November.
The Compact of Mayors, our global coalition of mayors and city officials that have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance resilience to climate change, is committing to further the uptake of clean energy technologies, including in low-income communities, and to track overall progress. U.S. ICLEI commends President Obama’s recognition of the Compact’s key position to accelerate cities’ commitment and ability to take climate action, thereby protecting local communities and collectively motivating international progress.
Cities are taking meaningful steps to reduce emissions, but the only way to measure progress is through a transparent and consistent system that provides accountability. 19 U.S. Cities have already signed onto the Compact, and 15 more are announcing their commitment today, including:
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Bridgeport, CT
- Camuy (PR)
- Chicago, IL
- Chula Vista, CA
- Grand Rapids, MI
- King County, WA
- New York, NY
- Oakland, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
- Seattle, WA
- West Hollywood, CA
- West Palm Beach, FL
President Obama’s comments build on the speech made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Sixth Petersburg Climate Dialogue in May this year. At the Dialogue, Chancellor Merkel praised the Compact of Mayors for showing how “climate protection can be put into practice locally.”
As part of the Compact, a coalition of U.S. mayors and city officials announced today that they will join the UN Conference of Parties (COP) meeting in Paris this December to showcase their cities’ climate leadership and call for an ambitious international agreement that addresses our climate crisis and supports further action at the local level. This group of mayors and ICLEI members, called the Local Climate Leaders Circle, includes mayors of Atlanta, Boulder, Chula Vista, Columbus, Des Moines, Grand Rapids, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, West Palm Beach, and councilmembers from Santa Monica and King County, WA.
For more about the Compact of Mayors, click here.
For more about the Local Climate Leaders Circle, click here.
To read fact sheet released by the White House in full, click here.