This week, the mayors of the world’s largest cities will travel to Buenos Aires for the C40 World Summit, or almost participate. The gathering really focused on climate action and the bold and innovative programs city leaders are running to help protect the environment and stimulate sustainable growth. Together, the C40 Mayors represent hundreds of millions of citizens and a quarter of the global economy. This means that our cities have a bigger and bigger role to play in combating the climate crisis.
In fact, when you consider that cities are responsible for more than 70 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, it is no exaggeration to say that in terms of meeting the greatest challenge facing humanity, our town can be the difference between success and failure. . At the very least, it is certain that the world will have a better chance of keeping warming within the internationally agreed target of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels if our cities become more resilient. to decarbonise.
As Mayor of London and chair of C40, it inspires me to see how cities are stepping up to the plate and showing real determination to meet their climate obligations. In recent years, the serious treatment of municipalities on this issue is very different from most of their national counterparts. Indeed, the difference between cities and national governments is like the difference between night and day, with the former acting as climate makers, and the latter as climate retarders. Three quarters of C40 cities are reducing their per capita emissions at a faster rate than their own countries.
Fortunately, with US president Joe Biden prioritizing climate action, a new Australian government, and China recording four consecutive quarters of emissions reductions, there is signs that the tide has begun to rise. Thanks to our track record of bold climate action, more than 150 million residents of C40 cities are now breathing cleaner air. But we cannot be complacent. The fact remains that too many national governments – including the British government – continue to drag their feet. They refuse to commit to the policies, regulations and clean energy investments we know are necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change.
The inaction we have seen from some heads of state is shameful. This threat is not theoretical, it has arrived at our doors. In London, homes were destroyed and businesses reduced to ashes as devastating fires caused by extreme heat ravaged our city this summer. Dealing with several fires at once, the London Fire Brigade faced its worst day since the Second World War.
From Hurricane Ian in Florida to deadly heatwaves across Europe, China and the Indian subcontinent, 2022 is sure to be a year to remember as climate chaos really hits home.
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Nowhere, of course, has been hit harder than Pakistan. A country that despite contributing less than 1 percent of global emissions, has seen a third of its land submerged in devastating floods, which have also claimed more than 1,700 lives, displaced 33 million people , and caused damage and misery to some in the world. poorest communities. This is a great injustice and explains why the C40 chose to allocate two thirds of its budget to the cities of the Global South, which have done the least to create this crisis, but bear its weight.
What is most disturbing is that the recent suffering and chaos is only a taste of much worse to come if the international community does not act together and begin to address the climate crisis with the urgency it deserves. The truth is that we are rapidly turning our climate into a weapon of mass destruction – one that becomes more powerful, more destructive and more deadly every year. This is why, at the C40 summit this week, I am calling on cities to pressure their national governments to act now to disarm fossil fuel companies. London and many other cities have now signed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, and I want C40 partners to join us in taking a stand at this summit by saying no to more fossil fuel exploration, investment or subsidy.
Even in the face of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and rising inflation, at this critical stage in human history it would be extremely foolish to ignore the science and delay climate action. Not least because the best way to protect people around the world from rising prices and extreme weather, as well as clean up our polluted air, create quality jobs, raise the standard of living and achieving energy security, is the end of our dependence on fossil fuels. and facilitating the transition to renewable energy sources. Cities have already shown the way forward on these important issues, now it’s time for national governments to follow our lead and commit to a bolder and more ambitious approach at Cop27 next month.
[See also: Cop27: When is it and what is on the agenda in Egypt?]