In 2005, the mayor of London convened representatives from eighteen of the world’s largest cities to “forge an agreement on cooperatively reducing climate pollution.” According to the C40 website, that was the beginning of a movement which, among other things, created “Cities Race to Zero.”
As of September, 2022, more than 1,100 cities had joined the Race to Zero. These cities are committed to pursuing three big goals:
- Delivering a green and just recovery to the COVID-19 crisis.
- Creating strong, fair economies that serve everyone.
- Cutting greenhouse gas emissions quickly enough to limit global heating to the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement.
Has your city or county joined this effort?
You can find out by looking at the published list online at Cities Race to Zero. This website also includes information about the pledge that cities make to plan, implement, and report on their efforts.
If you see your city or county on the list, go to their website or ask city officials what they are doing to turn their pledge into action. (Don’t forget to praise their intentions as well.)
If your local government has not signed up yet, contact local officials and bring the Cities Race to Zero to their attention.
City leaders will find practical help here. The C40 Knowledge Hub includes Implementation Guides around many initiatives. These are based on what the C40 cities have been learning since that first meeting in 2005.
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