I am one of more than 470 US mayors who is a member of Climate Mayors, a bipartisan network demonstrating climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities. Representing 48 states and 74 million Americans, the Climate Mayors coalition reflects U.S. cities’ commitment to climate progress. We will be meeting on August 31 in Austin in conjunction with the US Conference of Mayors. We last met in Honolulu in 2019 where I spoke about Richmond’s climate action programs. Later, the US Conference of Mayors adopted Resolution 65 to protect cities’ access to the courts for climate change litigation.

Figure 1 - Santa Cruz Mayor Martine Watkins, a cosponsor with me of Resolution 65

This year, Climate Mayors released a forward-looking report summarizing the key takeaways from the National Dialogue On Green And Equitable Recovery Series and highlighting tangible solutions for a green and just economic recovery in cities across the United States. The report also makes the case for – and lays out how the federal government can be partners in –moving local climate priorities forward. Read More+.

On April 21, 2021, Climate Mayors released a statement, Climate Mayors Call for Green and Equitable National Recovery and released a report, Roadmap to a Green Economic Recovery Begins in Cities According to New Report from Climate Mayors.

After attending the Paris Climate Conference in 2015, I became one of 468 US Climate Mayors who committed to adopt, honor and uphold the Paris Climate Agreement Goals after Trump announced the US would be withdrawing. Approximately 40,000 representatives from 196 countries around the world participated in the Paris Conference, where the major story was about how Cities are leading on climate change, and how they use local climate action plans to prioritize strategies to reduce their emissions – including through land use and transportation planning. See my recollections at  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Congress of the Parties 21.