Tag: Paris Agreement

Today, C40 Chair-Elect, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo launched “Cap sur la COP22,” a public exhibition that showcases actions cities, citizens and local businesses take every day to combat climate change. In the large photograph installations along the Seine river, “Cap sur la COP22” highlights the accomplishments a number of C40 cities have achieved since the Paris Agreement and the challenges that lie ahead. 

The G20 summit in Hangzhou will be the first meeting of leaders from the world’s largest economies since the Paris Agreement on climate change was announced in December 2015. This agreement, adopted by 195 states, represents unprecedented global solidarity and commitment to action. Despite the numerous political and economic disruptions the world has seen over the past year, many countries are already taking steps to ratify the agreement as soon as possible. As host of the Hangzhou Summit, China deserves particular recognition for its leadership in implementing the Paris Agreement through long-term domestic policies and for having such a strong, bold focus on sustainable growth in its 13th Five-Year Plan. In China, swift action is already engaging businesses and investors in helping to grow the country’s low-carbon economy. It represents a compelling example for others to follow. Delivering the Paris ambition to limit global temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels requires economic, political and social change unlike anything before. It can only be addressed with the leadership and commitment of the G20 members, with the support of their largest cities.

Last year, city leaders stood at Hotel de Ville in Paris to fight for the same goal: to keep global temperature rise below 2°C. Paris marked a historic moment for international diplomacy, and today, we are standing up to support the heads of state and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York City for the signing of the landmark Paris Agreement.

The aspiration of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees may one day be recognized as one of the most important goals ever agreed by international diplomacy.  We now have the political consensus and momentum to prevent catastrophic climate change --but we must move extremely fast in order to make the aims of the Agreement achievable. 

COP21 was a huge success, and city leaders left Paris with a renewed sense of purpose – but now the real work begins.

The Paris Agreement can only be brought to life with full support from all those involved, including national, regional and local leaders. The 1.5°C target means that cities and city leaders are more crucial than ever to the global fight against climate change; this goal cannot be achieved without effective climate action in cities.