Ahead of the G20, the mayors of the world's most important cities have written to heads of state and government urging them to make bold decisions on climate — for a just and sustainable future for all.
Ahead of the G20 taking place on 7 and 8 July in Hamburg, Germany, the mayors of 46 megacities have written to heads of state calling on them to take shared and bold decisions to address the threat of climate change. In support of this letter, a petition has been launched that has already gathered more than 50,000 signatures, calling for action towards a sustainable future. Sign the petition.
"The fight against climate change is a challenge that concerns all of us and requires concrete, collective action. For this reason, Milan and the world's largest cities that are part of the C40 network are issuing an important appeal to G20 leaders, who will be meeting in Germany in a few days: if they stand alongside us and our citizens and commit to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, we will be able to reach the results we hope for and help our planet. As mayor of Milan, I therefore ask you to join our appeal. To build a sustainable future, we must act together. Sign this petition alongside citizens from around the world."
Giuseppe Sala, mayor of Milan
As mayors of the world's largest cities and on behalf of the hundreds of millions of citizens we represent, we call on you, the heads of state of the G20, to renew your commitment to tackling climate change, one of the most urgent issues at a global level.
Given the United States' intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the decision of the other 19 G20 leaders to safeguard our planet is more important than ever. We, local leaders from around the world, stand alongside you in strengthening our commitment to taking bold action on climate change and in working with representatives of the business community and citizens across the world. The courage shown by more than 300 United States mayors (climate mayors), who in recent weeks have committed to adopting, honouring and upholding the Paris Agreement, is a source of inspiration for us.
"We are still in and will continue to participate," hundreds of cities, universities and business leaders have declared, committing to pursuing ambitious climate targets and ensuring that the United States remains a global leader in emissions reduction. This group is working towards the creation of America's pledge, an unprecedented effort towards emissions reduction by cities, states and the business community to ensure that the United States honours the commitment made under the Paris Agreement.
Achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement requires unprecedented action: urgent reforms are needed in the fields of energy, transport, the food sector and waste recovery — with substantial investments in a low-emissions economic system capable of creating new jobs and improving public health. Research carried out by C40 Cities shows that significant progress must be made by 2020, the deadline by which global emissions must have reached their peak.
In our cities we are developing policies and projects aimed at implementing the Paris Agreement. As mayors, we are boldly committing to delivering emissions reduction plans, combating air pollution and investing in sustainable infrastructure that helps improve the resilience of our cities to the effects of climate change. We are taking these measures because we are convinced that creating smart cities can offer unprecedented opportunities. According to a study carried out by New climate economy, creating compact cities connected through public transport would lead to savings of three trillion dollars in infrastructure investment over the next 15 years. These cities would also be more economically dynamic, healthier, fairer and would reduce emissions.
We must all work together to save the planet. As cities deploy new fleets of electric buses and citizens opt for electric vehicles over polluting cars, states must accelerate the process of providing 100 per cent renewable electricity. When mayors and the business community implement plans for sustainable infrastructure in our cities, national governments must ensure adequate funding for our cities through international climate funds and development banks. As autonomous vehicles enter our cities, we must create a regulatory framework that guarantees this shift reduces emissions rather than generating new ones.
You have the privilege of leading your countries at a unique moment in history to realise the potential of the Paris Agreement. The world's cities and their citizens share a vision of a fair and sustainable future that will make our communities cleaner, healthier, happier and more prosperous. Together with business leaders we have already made our choice for a future of climate security, a future of opportunity, optimism and innovation: there are no alternatives.
As mayors of the C40 network we will continue our fight for the climate in the world's most important cities, for our citizens, for our planet and for global wellbeing. Today we wish to forge a concrete and positive alliance with you, for the benefit of our citizens. We greatly desire to work with you. Do not miss this opportunity to give new hope for the future.