The Cities & States of the USA Move Ahead on Climate Change -- Mayors & Governors, Leaders in Addressing Challenges & Providing Solutions

We've been sharing news and perspectives on recent developments in l'affaires climate change, with the US government [at the Federal level] abandoning the landmark Paris Agreement (the COP 21 accomplishments, with almost 200 nations participating). 

The mayors and governors and other leaders at the city/municipal and state governments around the United States are individually and collectively committing to continuing to meet what the US government agreed to do...and what the Trump administration has now "dis-agreed" with moving forward.  There's good news elsewhere in the public sector, though.

The US Conference of Mayors met in Miami Beach recently to address a number of issues that leaders of municipalities are concerned with -- and to develop solutions to address.  Often, it is worth noting, the solutions are reached in partnership with the business community.  That collaboration -- and innovation -- spells o-p-p-o-r-t-u-n-i-t-y for both public and private sectors.

The respective mayors at the conference put climate change high on the agenda and passed a powerful resolution demonstrating their commitment to the nation's commitment in Paris to rigorous address climate change challenges.  (A link to the resolution is in the post below.)

Good news out of the conference:  Cities are purchasing renewable electric energy.  69% of respondents to the Conference survey -- 22% are considering doing so.  Green vehicles?  63% of mayoral respondents are doing that for their municipal fleets; 30% more are considering hybrids, electrics, natural gas, biodiesel.

In a commentary in G&A Institute's Sustainability-Update blog, Chair Hank Boerner shares more information about the good news from the Conference and goings-on at the city and state level -- in "US Cities Showing the Way on Climate Change Solutions." 

This is not just about US cities -- the movement is global as noted in the column.  It is incredible to think that more than half of the world's population now live in cities, and many of the world's urban centers are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change (rising seas, drought, severe storms, heat waves, and more). 

And so -- City Fathers and Mothers are awake to the threats and doing something about climate change.  There's the Compact of Mayors, with 652 cities in the effort, led by former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  There's the CDP Cities Initiative, with more than 500 cities now disclosing their climate change initiatives.  There's America's Pledge, an effort by 227 US cities and counties, 9 US states and 1,650 businesses and investors...a pledge to uphold the US government's commitment to the Paris Agreement.  Read the full text of Hank Boerner's commentary here: http://ga-institute.com/Sustainability-Update/2017/07/15/u-s-global-cities-showing-the-way-on-climate-change-solutions/

And for additional information about climate change action at the municipal level, read about the good work going on in Hollywood, Florida; Bozeman, Montana; Loveland, Colorado; Redmond, Washington.  These stories and more in the informative American City & County news story -- it's about how cities are enticing their citizens to pitch in and help to create a more sustainable city.  There's info here on the National League of Cities' "Sustainable Cities Institute."

This is just the introduction of G&A's Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.