Today, at the C40 World Mayors
Summit in Copenhagen, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti — the newly
elected C40 Chair — alongside the mayors of cities worldwide including
Austin, Amsterdam, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and
Tokyo, recognized a global climate emergency and announced their support for
a Global Green New Deal.
The broad coalition — including youth climate
activists;
and representatives from labor, business and civil society — announced their
support for the Global Green New Deal vision. The mayors’ call came in response
to intergovernmental action being blocked by a minority of powerful,
science-denying governments, representing the interests of the fossil-fuel
industry.
“When it comes to climate action, no one is doing more than cities, but no one
is doing enough,” Garcetti said. “We are entering a make-or-break decade for the
preservation of our planet and environmental justice for every community — and I
am proud to lead C40 cities at this critical moment. Together we will continue
leading the drive to protect the world and promote a better, more equitable life
for everyone living in it.”
Through the Global Green New Deal, cities have reaffirmed their commitment to
protecting the environment, strengthening the economy and building a more
equitable future, by cutting emissions from the sectors most responsible for the
climate crisis — among them,
transportation,
buildings
and
waste
— to keep global heating below the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement.
This includes putting inclusive climate action at the center of all urban
decision-making to secure a just transition for those working in high-carbon
industries and correct long-running environmental injustices for those
disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis — people living in the global
south, generally, and the poorest communities everywhere.
Avoiding the worst impacts of the climate crisis means cutting global emissions in half by 2030
In practical terms, that means improving mobility while replacing polluting
fossil fuel powered vehicles with clean alternatives; setting the strictest
possible building codes and reducing waste, amongst other actions. Policies
already being delivered in cities around the world, thanks to the commitment of
mayors to the C40 Net Zero Carbon Buildings, Advancing Towards Zero
Waste, and Green & Healthy Streets
Declarations.
Keeping temperature rise to within the limits deemed safe by the overwhelming
scientific evidence means not only cutting
emissions, but also reducing the carbon already released into the
atmosphere. Standing still isn’t good enough.
“Cities are where the climate battle will largely be won or lost,” said UN
Secretary-General António Guterres. “At September’s Climate Action Summit at
the United Nations, at least 70 countries and 100 cities agreed to enhance their
national plans by 2020 — we must build on this momentum. Cities are at the heart
of this race, and I congratulate the C40 on its leadership at this critical
moment.”
The Global Green New Deal was immediately endorsed by those also committed to
the level of action determined by science — including business
leaders,
investors,
the labor movement, civil society, indigenous groups, informal settlement
representatives, and groups disproportionately impacted by climate change and
poverty. Mayor Garcetti, along with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and Copenhagen
Mayor Frank Jensen, issued a clear challenge to national leaders, CEO’s and
investors that haven’t yet matched the level of ambition detailed in the Global
Green New Deal.
“As mayors, our first priority is to protect the safety of our citizens,”
Hidalgo said. “It will soon be four years since the Paris Agreement was signed
in our city. World leaders met in New York just last month and once again failed
to agree anything close to the level of action necessary to stop the climate
crisis. Their ineptitude directly threatens all people around the globe as time
keeps running against us. There is no other solution but a Global Green New Deal
to be the pivotal instrument to win this race against the clock. All
decision-makers must take responsibility in making it a reality.”
As Jensen pointed out: “Copenhagen recognizes the climate emergency and commits
to the Global Green New Deal because climate change is the greatest threat to
security, public health and prosperity. We need to act now — and we need to act
together. There is no need to hesitate: Cities already have many of the green
solutions needed.”
“I am inspired by this coalition and the commitments made for a global Green New
Deal,” said Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Representative for New York’s 14th
Congressional District and champion of a Green New Deal in the US. “If we work
to join forces globally, we will be able to defeat our greatest threat and
realize our greatest opportunity.”
New figures released ahead of the C40 Summit reveal that 30 cities have now
peaked their
emissions
and are making rapid progress to bring them down to net zero. More than 100
cities around the world are now committed to deliver climate action plans
consistent with the 1.5°C global heating target.
The defining principles of the Global Green New Deal
- We recognise the global climate emergency.
- We are committed to keeping global heating below the 1.5°C goal of the
Paris Agreement by curbing emissions in the sectors that are the greatest
contributors to the climate crisis: transportation, buildings, and
waste. C40 cities are already cutting emissions at a rate consistent with
the limits determined by science – which means peaking emissions by 2020,
and halving them by 2030. Every business, individual, investor, partner,
informal settlement representative and nation that forms part of Global
Green New Deal will commit to similar science-based
targets. - We are committed to putting inclusive climate action at the center of all
urban decision-making, to create thriving and equitable communities for
everyone. Our commitment includes protecting livelihoods, helping end
poverty, improving lives, building more equitable societies and securing a
just transition for those working in high-carbon industries. Climate delay
is already having devastating consequences with the impact being felt most
severely by those least responsible for the emissions causing the climate
emergency. We will drive an urgent, fundamental and irreversible transfer of
global resources away from fossil fuels and into action that averts the
climate emergency, thereby building a green and fair ecological
civilization. - We invite our partners — political leaders, CEOs, trade unions, investors
and civil society — to join us in recognizing the global climate emergency
and help us deliver on science-based action to overcome it.
Jamie Margolin, Zero Hour founder & Co-Executive Director, said: “This era
is for everyone. It is not just for the United States — it is not even about a
specific piece of legislation; it is about a global change of values, ideals and
ways of relating to each other and the earth. What we need worldwide is more
than sustainability, because we cannot sustain the destruction we are causing to
the earth, or the capitalism making our leaders dizzy with fantasies of endless
economic growth that is simply not possible on our earth. We need the era of the
green new deal, and it’s coming globally.”
“The Global Green New Deal is proof of the momentum that the world’s most
influential cities can create when they raise their collective ambition,” said
Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics.
“I am delighted to be working with some of the most pioneering cities among them
to explore what it means to be a Thriving
City — one that
respects the wellbeing of all people and the whole planet. It’s no easy
challenge, but C40 cities know that now is the time to take it on.”
Source: Sustainable Brands – Latest News
