Ten more cities have signed on to the Chicago Climate Charter, which now has 67 cities on board. The city pact to battle climate change was a response to President Donald Trump pulling out of the Paris Agreement in June.
On December 4-6, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel held the 2017 North American Climate Summit. Leaders from the U.S., Canada and Mexico were brought together to sign the Climate Charter and address climate change at a local level.
While the Donald Trump administration continues to bury their heads deeper in the sand when it comes to climate change, local leaders are confronting the challenge head-on, said Mayor Emanuel in the press release of the City of Chicago.
Cities who signed the Charter are required to follow many of the environmental guidelines set by the Paris Agreement. They pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to an aggregate of at least 26 to 28 percent below the 2005 level by 2025. This was a commitment previously made by the Obama administration while negotiating the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Examples of individual pledges are investing in public transport systems to reduce carbon footprint, reducing footprint in infrastructure, and increasing access to affordable and renewable energy.
Participating cities must also work with experts, communities, businesses, environmental justice groups, and advocates to establish more environmentally friendly policies. They additionally pledged to recognize and involve groups traditionally underrepresented in climate policy. Mayors will work with organizations such as Climate Mayors, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Urban Sustainability Directors Network and the ICLEI to develop partnerships with other cities. Participants will track and report the progress they make.
It’s cities and mayors that are leading the way in saving our planet, said WGN-TV’s chief meteorologist Tom Skilling at the Summit.
The Charter is the full list of cities involved in the Charter can be found here.
Photo via the Huffington Post.
