By Kevin McCarty
May 21, 2007

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hosted mayors of the world’s largest cities May 14-17 for the C-40 Large Cities Climate Summit to promote the role of cities in reducing carbon emissions and reversing global climate change.

Bloomberg, whose plan to reduce New York City’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent by 2030, has vaulted his city to the forefront of leadership in the world on climate protection.

Following an opening session where Bloomberg briefed delegates at the summit, Bloomberg, joined by Conference President and Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer, led mayors to a press conference in Central Park.

“Mayor Bloomberg, your vision to lay out an environmentally sustainable blueprint for New York City will serve as an example for American cities large and small. I’m greatly honored to be here alongside legendary U.S. and world leaders dedicated to develop infrastructures to reverse climate change,” Palmer said.

Palmer, Bloomberg, Conference Energy Committee Chair Austin Mayor Will Wynn and C40 Chair London Mayor Ken Livingstone, all spoke on behalf of the U.S. and International mayors taking part in the Summit.

“I proudly stand here today, as President of The U.S. Conference of Mayors, to announce that 500 mayors have now signed our U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Mayor Kathy Taylor from Tulsa, Oklahoma became the 500th mayor to sign our agreement, demonstrating the geographic diversity of mayors taking action,” Palmer said.

Recognizing Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels for his leadership in initiating the campaign to sign-up mayors on the Climate Protection Agreement, Palmer said, “We thank our friend Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels for first launching this agreement in 2005.” Wynn, during his remarks, echoed Palmer’s praise for Nickels’ efforts.

Palmer pledged that “We won’t cease at 500. Next month, the Conference of Mayors will meet in Los Angeles for our 75th Anniversary Meeting, and we won’t stop until we have every mayor signed-up.”

In convening the press conference, Bloomberg said, “This is a gathering of the greatest cities in the world, whose mayors are standing shoulder to shoulder to in the worldwide struggle to combat global warming. We are united in the determination to meet the challenge of climate change.” He added, “The fact is mayors around the world are taking the bold steps to reduce global warming.”

Bloomberg used his remarks to emphasize why mayors and cities are so crucial to reducing greenhouse gases. “New York and many other cities are also some of the most sustainable environments on earth, building on our inherent environmental advantage. Plan NYC Initiatives that were released last month commit New York City to the most ambitious, global warming target that any city has ever set – a 30 percent reduction in our production of greenhouse gases by the year 2030,” he said.

Several speakers at the press conference commented on the lack of leadership from their respective national governments. “Mayors are leading because they have to and mayors took action because the federal government was silent,” Palmer said.

Livingstone made poignant comments on this issue. “Mayors who stand before you here today represent one quarter of a billion people on the face of this planet. What has brought us together is the need to give leadership. We can’t wait for all of our governments to make up their minds,” he said.

He indicated that the goals of climate protection are both achievable and desirable. “All that is required to tackle climate change is to use what we have already invented and devised. All this is required is political will. These mayors represent an expression of that political will,” he said.

Explaining what must be done, Livingstone said, “It does not involve, as the naysayers will tell you that we have to live a worse quality of life. We just must stop being wasteful of energy and wasteful of resources.”

During the press conference, Palmer cited the Mayors 10-Point Plan and the Conference’s call for enactment of a new Energy and Environment Block Grant program. “The federal government of the U.S. is starting to hear us [mayors] in a bipartisan way. We are asking for a $4 billion commitment like CDBG,” Palmer said.

Wynn also called attention to the shift in Washington (DC), stating, “We pleased to see some movement with this federal legislation in this Congress.”

The C40 Summit, which was sponsored by the Clinton Foundation with other organizations, also featured a major announcement May 16 by former President Bill Clinton that brings together four of the world’s largest energy service companies (ESCOs), five of the world’s largest banks and 16 of the world’s largest cities in a coordinated effort to significantly reduce energy use in buildings.

“Climate change is a global problem that requires local action,” said Clinton. “The businesses, banks and cities partnering with my foundation are addressing the issue of global warming because it’s the right thing to do, but also because it’s good for their bottom line. They’re going to save money, make money, create jobs and have a tremendous collective impact on climate change all at once. I’m proud of them for showing leadership on the critical issue of climate change and I thank them for their commitment to this new initiative.”