With the Paris climate change summit just days away, dozens of mayors from around the world are gearing up to represent their municipalities at the global roundtable.
The meeting is largely considered the last chance for world leaders to agree on a set of concrete terms to cap global warming at 2 C above pre-industrial levels. After that, experts fear, the consequences will be irreversible.
Among the leaders will be Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who has said he wants his city to be the greenest in the world by 2020.
In his seven years as mayor, Robertson has reduced Vancouver’s water consumption, added electric-car charging stations across town and extended Vancouver’s bike lane network.
Those bold moves have earned him a reputation as an environmental evangelist among Canadian mayors. In July he met with Pope Francis to discuss climate change, and in October he helped advise U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on environmental policy ahead of the Paris meeting.
Robertson’s next goal is to slash harmful emissions by 33 per cent. Ultimately, he has said he wants to convert Vancouver to 100 per cent renewable energy.
But to reach those targets, he says he’ll need help from the federal government.
“We can’t deal with this alone in cities. You guys have to have bold commitments on climate, you have to be funding the infrastructure. We need to deal with these impacts,” Robertson told CTV News in a recent interview.
That wish may be granted. Since his campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has pledged to increase infrastructure spending for cities, with funding specifically earmarked for green projects.
Experts say that involving cities in climate conversations is pivotal; while they only make up about 2 per cent of the planet, cities emit up to 70 per cent of all harmful greenhouse gases.
“They have direct control over many of the sources of emissions that are generated,” said research director Seth Schultz. “Ninety-eight per cent of our cities have told us they already see the risks associated with climate change.”
Shultz studies cities and climate change for C40, a non-profit organization that helps more than 80 large urban centres across the world find ways to curb their emissions.
An estimated 60 per cent of Earth’s population will live in cities by 2030, and Shultz says that the fight against climate change will largely rest on the shoulders of urban dwellers.
“They are on the frontlines and they are taking very swift action to address it,” he said.
With files from CTV’s Melanie Nagy and The Canadian Press
