By Lina Garcia
March 10, 2008

In February commemorating the third anniversary of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, 800 mayors have now pledged to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their cities by 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. The broad support from mayors for this historic agreement is significant because it still represents the only commitment by U.S. elected officials to seek attainment of the Kyoto-established greenhouse gas reductions.

Portsmouth, (VA) Mayor James W. Holley III became the 800th signatory of the Mayor’s Climate Agreement, underscoring the geographic diversity of the mayors who have joined as signatories to this historic local commitment.

“We’re proud to have the support of Mayor Holley and the more than 800 mayors from all 50 states sign this agreement because as a collective voice, mayors are the leading agents of change in this country,” said Conference President Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer. “This movement is not just a symbolic act or moral action taken by mayors to protect our climate, it represents strong action and a broad movement to protect our environment during a time when many other elected officials continue to turn a blind eye to this global emergency,” he added.

“I am delighted to become the 800th signatory of this important agreement, committing to improve our environment in Portsmouth while also working together with mayors nationwide to make our planet cleaner and healthier for future generations,” said Holley.

In addition to the climate agreement, the Conference has made funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, which was enacted into law last year in the energy bill, its top legislative priority for this Congress. When fully funded, $2 billion will be available each year (over the next five years) to support U.S. cities to implement and fund energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy projects. This block grant program is especially timely, as the nation’s mayors work to address mounting energy costs, a weakening economy and deteriorating local revenues due to the real estate decline and seek ways to stimulate the economy and the workforce by supporting more green jobs as the nation moves towards a greener economy. These new resources will be particularly helpful to the signatories of the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement who are now striving to reduce city carbon emissions by the 2012 target.

“This grassroots bipartisan political effort ignited by our Mayors Climate Agreement will help get us the support we need in Congress, to secure the $2 billion in appropriations for the Energy Block Grant Program for cities, counties and states as was duly authorized and signed into law last year,” said Conference Executive Director and CEO Tom Cochran. “Mayors are calling on their individual House and Senate leaders to appropriate these funds for communities this year to improve energy efficiency, create green jobs and help protect our planet.”

To view mayors who are signatories to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, please visit: http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/agreement.htm.