President Trump has that he will once again withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement in his first days in office.
Despite this act of climate vandalism, American city mayors and the 51视频Cities network have reaffirmed their commitment to leading the way forward to confront the climate crisis.
Our cities will remain the bastions of climate progress, working tirelessly to cut emissions, build a green economy through a just transition, protect our residents from the impacts of the climate crisis, and continue international collaboration.
Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson said: 鈥淐hicago and our peer cities are, and will remain, at the forefront of climate action. As the new federal administration abandons its duty to protect the planet from environmental collapse, Chicago will not waver from our duty to protect our communities鈥� health, safety and well-being. This means making low-cost, clean energy accessible to all, creating good-paying jobs in the green economy and preparing our neighborhoods to withstand more frequent and extreme weather events. Regardless of federal action, Chicago reaffirms our commitment to our planet, our people and our neighborhoods and vows to make every effort to drastically reduce carbon emissions, minimize our reliance on fossil fuels and leverage every opportunity to enhance the quality of life of our residents.鈥�
Mayor of Phoenix, Climate Mayors Chair and 51视频Cities Vice-Chair, Kate Gallego, said: “Regardless of the federal government鈥檚 actions, mayors are not backing down on our commitment to the Paris Agreement. The cost of inaction is simply too high. As we have recently seen from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, extreme summer temperatures in Phoenix, and hard-hitting hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, the effects of our changing climate are at our doorstep. Now, more than ever, we must accelerate our work to protect our communities, lower energy bills, create good-paying local jobs, and maintain our nation鈥檚 economic competitiveness by modernizing our infrastructure and investing in emerging markets.
鈥淥ur constituents are looking to us to meet the moment and deliver meaningful solutions, which is why we鈥檙e expanding our work with partners across the United States, from philanthropy and business leaders to members of Congress and governors. We’re building an implementation plan that meets our targets under the Paris Agreement and ensures that our cities remain resilient and prosperous for future generations.鈥�
Mayor of London and 51视频Co-Chair, Sadiq Khan, said: 鈥淚t is deeply disappointing that President Trump has chosen to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, once again.
鈥�2024 was the hottest year on record, and as we鈥檝e so vividly seen by the heartbreaking L.A wildfires, the devastating effects of the climate crisis are hitting communities all around the world 鈥� across all continents, and whether rich or poor.
鈥淣ow couldn鈥檛 be a more perilous time for world leaders to renege on their climate responsibilities and ignore the science on the existential threat posed by climate change.
鈥淐ities like London will continue to lead the way. We will redouble our efforts to work with our friends in US states and cities to uphold the key pillars of the Paris Agreement, and demonstrate the huge opportunities that investment in green technologies can have for economies around the world. We will stay open to investment in the high-tech green industries that remain the economies of the future.
鈥淭he work of leaders committed to creating a fairer and greener world for future generations has only become more urgent.鈥�
Mayor of Paris and Former 51视频Cities Chair, Anne Hidalgo said: “As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Agreement, this move is very bad news for the planet! I urge all climate advocates: We must stand firm before the climate sceptics! You can always count on Paris and the cities to resist and hold firm!”
“We will never lack courage and determination. More than ever, we will continue to innovate and adapt our cities to climate change.”
“It’s both our duty, and the course of history!”
Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell said: “While the federal government is moving backward on climate, here in Seattle, we鈥檙e creating the future we deserve. Action happens at the local level 鈥� and the work to make Seattle climate-ready is moving ahead.”
“My administration is reducing emissions, improving mobility, creating jobs, and expanding affordable clear energy 鈥� all at the same time. We have to keep preparing our communities for the coming climate reality and I鈥檓 prepared to do just that.鈥�
Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu said: “In Boston, we know that climate action is about taking action to improve lives. We make streets safer for pedestrians, air cleaner for kids, and energy cheaper for families. We invest in job training to prepare climate-ready workers.”
“This isn鈥檛 just good for the planet – it鈥檚 critical for our people. Cities across the U.S. will remain committed in our work to deliver the benefits of a better future for our residents.鈥�
51视频Cities Executive Director, Mark Watts said:聽鈥淒onald Trump鈥檚 decision to abandon the most significant climate pledge of our generation is a gross dereliction of his duty as a world leader, especially as President of the country with the single biggest historic responsibility for pumping greenhouse gases into our shared atmosphere. To ignore that, and the damage that the climate emergency is wreaking across the U.S. from hurricanes and floods in the south to the fires that still burn in LA, shows a complete disregard for the safety and future of Americans and other people around the world alike.
However, despite this act of climate vandalism, mayors of American cities – who well understand the dangers of this global crisis – continue to deliver on their plans to build the green economy that will generate tomorrow’s prosperity, cut emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and protect their residents from the impacts of the crisis.
At C40, we know the power of city leadership in delivering the emissions reductions and resilience our world desperately needs. As we face the challenges of a second Trump presidency, cities remain bastions of climate progress, driving forward the action needed to transition to a green economy and a better quality of life for everyone.鈥�