Comprehensive National Response to Climate Change
Adopted at the 87th Annual Meeting in 2019
WHEREAS, the IPCC report also calls upon global nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius; and
WHEREAS, the current administration has indicated withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement; and therefore, signaled to the international community its refusal to help lead the world to achieve climate protection goals; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Conference of Mayors has long supported concerted action to reduce GHG emissions through its support of the Mayors Climate Agreement, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Green Power Plan, the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant and other means of reducing GHG emissions, and
WHEREAS, City/metro economies are home to 91% of Gross Domestic Product and wage income, and 88% of the nation's jobs, thereby accounting for a major part the US economy and it future growth, including energy; and
WHEREAS, cities are facing tremendous financial losses in the billions of dollars due to the increased intensity of storms, flooding, drought, wildfires and coastal flooding, linked to rising global temperatures; and
WHEREAS, billions of dollars of commercial real estate and business property are at risk due to current and projected rising sea levels and the intensity of storms, droughts, floods and wildfires,
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors declares climate change a national emergency;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress of the United States establish a comprehensive national program to de-carbonize the US economy in time to keep the global rise in temperatures to the 1.5-degree Celsius level; and that such efforts involve every federal agency in its capacity to promote and implement the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs); states and their regulatory powers; and local governments and their jurisdictions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Conference calls on the Administration and Congress to work with the world's nations to reduce GHGs as expeditiously as possible, including full cooperation in meeting the goal of not exceeding a 1.5-degree C rise in the earth's temperature as called for in the IPCC report and the Paris Climate Agreement; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U.S. Conference calls on Congress to reauthorize and fully fund the Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant, with the understanding that a comprehensive, national policy to move to a carbon free energy economy must include both action from the federal, state and local governments; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress significantly increase federal funding for research and development of energy efficiency, renewable energy, battery storage and other technologies to expedite the move to a carbon free U.S. economy, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission be given the mandate of de-carbonizing the electric utility grid on a timeframe to keep the global rise in temperature to 1.5 degree Celsius; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress establish a requirement of de-carbonizing the electric utility industry in the same timeframe as above, establishing both phased requirements and incentives to achieve such ends; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the federal government invest in green transportation infrastructure, including a national electric charging infrastructure system, the green electrification of public transit, automobiles, trucks, and rail systems to meet the goal of keeping the rise of global temperature to 1.5 degree Celsius; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the building sector be required to de-carbonize its heating and cooling systems, and that tax credits be provided, for a limited amount of time, to existing buildings to convert to non-carbon HVAC, efficiency and conservation systems; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress establish a worker re-training and benefits program for those workers dislocated from the transition away from the fossil fuel industry; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Federal funding for infrastructure used to export carbon based fuels should be reviewed and minimized in light of the greenhouse gas emissions produced by said fuels.