The Congress of Cities is the largest gathering of city officials organized by the National League of Cities (NLC), UCLG´s North American member holds the event in a different city each year. The 2015 edition of the congress was celebrated in Nashville, Tennessee andhighlighted the growing number of US cities committed to the Compact of Mayors ahead of the climate negotiations in Paris.
US Vice President Joe Biden called on hundreds of US cities to join the collaboration led by cities to accelerate climate action. Vice President Biden stated:
“The Compact of Mayors relies on city officials all over the world pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build climate resilient cities and protect the public health. Last month there were only 46 American cities who had signed the commitment. Today, we have reached 83 cities.”
The increase he cited follows the goal set by President Barack Obama of having 100 cities committed to the Compact before COP21 begins at the end of November.
With strong support from President Obama and Vice President Biden, the Compact has grown rapidly, demonstrating the desire of local leaders to cooperate and coordinate their efforts to tackle climate change.
Join the Compact of Mayors and send a strong local message to state leaders negotiating climate agreement
The growth in support for the compact extends all over the world. More than 322 cities have already committed to this reporting system that showcases the actions of cities to tackle climate change and their capacity to reduce emissions. This increase demonstrates the powerful positive effect that national governments can have on local climate initiatives. The COP21 will be an opportunity to highlight the Compact of Mayors, both during the Climate Summit for Local and Regional Leaders at Paris City Hall on 4 December and at the Cities and Subnational Government action day on 8 December.
Launched at the 2014 United Nations Climate Summit, the Compact of Mayors is the world’s largest coalition of city leaders addressing climate change. The initiative is led by the three main global networks of local and regional governments - C40, ICLEI and UCLG - with the support of the United Nations Secretary General, his special envoy for cities and climate change, Michael Bloomberg, and UN Habitat.
We would like to invite you to join the Compact and demonstrate your city's commitment to combatting climate change before the start of the COP21. This will contribute to our work mobilizing cities and underlining the political commitment of local governments around the globe in the run up to the conference.
For more info:
- Find more information on the Compact and its requirements on our webpage
- Read the Compact template letter to send back to us to express your commitment by 20 November, 2015.