Oped: G20: Are you ready to save the planet?

By Mayor Adler

As Mayor of Austin, I have committed myself to fight for a better future for our children, by protecting our environment. Austin has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and recently we expanded our municipal utility’s use of wind and solar power. Every day we take active strides to limit our emissions and reduce our carbon footprint. Today, I have decided to commit with 40 other mayors around the world to ask the G20 heads of state to make sure we don’t give up on our planet, and that they commit to maintain the Paris Agreement. I need your support, as citizen of Austin and of the world to make the world leaders hear our call for a strong response to climate change.

 

Please sign this petition!

As mayors of many of the world’s great cities, and on behalf of the hundreds of millions of citizens that we represent, we urge you — G20 Heads of State — to deliver on your commitments to tackle climate change, one of the world’s most pressing issues.

Given the US intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the resolve of the other 19 leaders at the upcoming G20 Summit to safeguard the future of our planet is more important than ever. Local leaders around the world stand together with you, redoubling our commitment to bold action on climate change, working with business leaders and citizens worldwide. We are inspired by the courage of more than 300 Climate Mayors from cities across the United States who have committed in the past weeks to adopt, honor and uphold the Paris Agreement. Hundreds of US cities, universities, and businesses have declared “We Are Still In” and committed to pursue ambitious climate goals, and to ensure that the US remains a global leader in reducing emissions.

We must all work together to save the planet. As mayors and businesses bring forward plans for sustainable infrastructure in our cities, national governments should ensure that financing is available for cities from international climate funds and development banks.

You have the privilege of leadership at a unique moment in history to help realize the potential of the Paris Agreement. The cities of the world and their citizens have a shared vision for a just and sustainable future – one that will make our communities cleaner, healthier, happier and more prosperous. Together with business leaders we have already decided on a climate-safe future of opportunity, optimism and innovation — there is no alternative.

As C40 mayors we will continue to lead on climate action in the most important cities of the world, standing for our people, the planet and global prosperity. Today, we seek to strengthen a pragmatic and positive alliance with you, in the service of our citizens. We look forward to working with you. Don’t miss this opportunity to deliver new hope for tomorrow.

Signatories:

Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris and Chair of C40

Ahmed Aboutaleb, Mayor of Rotterdam

Elisabeth Ackermann, President of the Executive Council of the Canton of Basel-Stadt

Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin

Wasim Akhtar, Mayor of Karachi

Herbert Constantine M. Bautista, Mayor of Quezon City

Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona

Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal

Marcelo Crivella, Mayor of Rio de Janeiro

Robert Doyle, Mayor of Melbourne

Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago

Helen Fernandez, Mayor of Caracas

Phil Goff, Mayor of Auckland

Rafael Greca, Mayor of Curitiba

Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw

Fumiko Hayashi, Mayor of Yokohama

Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen

Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo

Georgios Kaminis, Mayor of Athens

Mohammad Sayeed Khokon, Mayor of Dhaka South

Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo

Eberhard van der Laan, Mayor of Amsterdam

Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, Mayor of Buenos Aires

Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco

Patricia de Lille, Mayor of Cape Town

Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney

Michael Müller, Mayor of Berlin

Ed Murray, Mayor of Seattle

Antônio Carlos Peixoto de Magalhães Neto, Mayor of Salvador

Claudio Orrego, Governor of Santiago

Mauricio Rodas, Mayor of Quito

Gregor Robertson, Mayor of Vancouver

Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan

Yousef Al Shawarbeh, Mayor of Amman

Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Mayor of Accra

John Tory, Mayor of Toronto

Karin Wanngård, Mayor of Stockholm

Martin J. Walsh, Mayor of Boston

Ted Wheeler, Mayor of Portland

Kam Sing Wong, Secretary for the Environment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government

Park Won Soon, Mayor of Seoul

Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner, Lord Mayor of Heidelberg