Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) announced the organization’s bipartisan delegation to COP28, the United Nation’s Climate Change Conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), which begins on November 30, 2023.

Delegation members include:

  • Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther, USCM Vice President
  • Washington (DC) Mayor Muriel Bowser, Chair of USCM’s International Affairs Committee
  • Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, USCM Past President
  • Des Moines (IA) Mayor Frank Cownie, USCM Trustee
  • New Orleans (LA) Mayor LaToya Cantrell, USCM Trustee
  • Columbia (MO) Mayor Barbara Buffaloe, Chair of USCM’s Environment Committee
  • Tom Cochran, USCM CEO and Executive Director

While attending the conference, mayors will participate in the Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS), hosted by the COP28 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies, as well as a USCM panel discussion titled “Cities Tackling Extreme Weather Patterns and Financing Challenges: How Mayors Can Protect Citizens and Their Most Vulnerable Populations.” Mayors will take part in several other panels and events. More information can be found here.

The delegation will be led by Mayor Ginther, who released the following statement:

“The U.S. Conference of Mayors is proud to continue our decades-long commitment to climate action and international collaboration on this vital issue. This bipartisan delegation of mayors will once again show the world that American cities are taking a leading role to reduce carbon, grow a green job workforce, and create a healthier planet for all people. Climate change continues to pose challenges for cities across the country, but America’s mayors are rising to the challenge and making our cities more resilient. We look forward to sharing ideas and solutions with our international partners and to demonstrating the power of local leadership on this global issue,” said USCM Vice President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther.

“As members and leaders of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, we recognize that cities can have a powerful global impact when we work together towards common goals,” said Muriel Bowser, Mayor of Washington, DC and Chair of USCM’s International Affairs Committee. “I am proud of the work that we are doing in Washington, DC, and in cities across the country, to tackle climate change and mitigate its impacts, especially on our most vulnerable residents. This week, our delegation has a unique opportunity to strategize with our international counterparts and underscore that climate change is a global challenge that requires local solutions.”

For more information or to schedule interviews with members of the delegation, please contact USCM Director of Communications Sara Durr at sdurr@usmayors.org.