Washington, DC— Today, on behalf of the nation’s mayors, cities, and locally elected government leaders, representatives from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National League of Cities, African American Mayors Association, Climate Mayors, C40 Cities, and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability USA sent a joint letter to President Joe Biden applauding the Biden-Harris administration for taking a whole-of-government approach to advancing its bold climate agenda, working with mayors and local leaders to do so.
As local leaders who have long embraced sustainability efforts within their own communities, we welcome the Biden-Harris administration’s recommitment to climate and environmental justice as a true sign of progress.
The letter reads in part:
“We have established bold goals and set out plans to achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions in our communities and address climate impacts. Through our work we have been able to reduce our climate footprint and make our communities stronger, more equitable, and more resilient. However, we cannot do it alone. We need bold steps across all levels of government as well as the private sector, and we need additional tools and incentives, including direct allocation of funds to local governments, if we are to be successful in meeting our goals ahead.
“We want to thank your Administration for reentering the Paris Climate Agreement and demonstrating to the world that the United States will once again take a leadership role in this fight.
We also want to thank you for introducing the America Rescue Plan that will not only begin to address our tremendous infrastructure needs but will also potentially create millions of new and good-paying jobs, put people back to work, and stimulate our economy out of this economic downturn. In addition, your infrastructure plan includes many components that will assist us with our climate change efforts and ensure a just and green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.