1000 U.S. Mayors commit to Kyoto targets

30 September – 2 October 2009, Los Angeles, California

From 30 September to 2 October 2009, US Mayors gathered in Los Angeles, California, for the 2nd Governors‘ Climate Summit on the Road to Copenhagen to deepen and broaden cooperative efforts by subnational governments to implement strategies that can immediately grow a green economy, increase the use of sustainable clean energy, reduce dependence on oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in advance of, and in support of, the next global agreement on climate change.

Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle, announces at the last day of the summit that 1,000 mayors across the country had signed a pact to meet the Kyoto protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, urging the federal government and states to cut emissions by 7% from 1990 levels by 2012. Nickels has a long track record  talking to other mayors about halting carbon emissions in the cities, where the majority of Americans live, drive cars, operate factories, turn on lights and use power. He stated:

"The 100 top metropolitan areas represent 75% of the [gross domestic product] of this country. This is where the economy is. This is where the energy is. And this is where the solutions need to come."

The following examples show that American cities are not only signing pacts to tackle climate change but that they are working hard to meet their goals, implementing strong measures to tackle climate change. For example:

  • Seattle was able to reduce its 1990 carbon footprint by 8% in 2005, largely through voluntary emissions reductions by households and businesses.
  • Los Angeles reached the 7% Kyoto target in 2008, four years ahead of schedule, in part through an aggressive program in energy efficiency that included light bulb and street light replacements, mandatory green building standards, and a transition to alternative fuel on buses, trash trucks and other city vehicles.
  • Boston has increased its solar capacity by 300%.
  • Philadelphia has adopted a plan to retrofit 100,000 homes with energy-saving features over the next seven years.
  • Cleveland has set a standard of converting to 25% renewable electricity.

Thanks to succesful advocacy work by the.mayors conference, the federal government authorized $2.7 billion to states, municipalities and native tribes to fund further energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. These type of grants were also placed in the federal climate change legislation which was recently introduced.

 

The 2nd Governors‘ Climate Summit on the Road to Copenhagen was co-hosted by several U.S. Governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, in partnership with UNEP and UNDP.

Further information

For further information on the summit, please visit the summit website or read the Los Angeles Times article "1,000 mayors agree to reduce greenhouse gas emissions" (October 3, 2009)

For further information about the pact and U.S. cities‘ activities to tackle climate change, please download this report by the Mayors Climate Protection Center:

"Power of 86 Million Americans: 1000 Mayors Committed to Climate Action - Selected Profiles of Mayoral Leadership" (October 2009)

 

As Copenhagen Looms: Keep an eye on the Cities

(Citiwire-Article by Neal Peirce, 2 October 2009)