Mayors of major cities pledge to march towards a cleaner future at C40 summit

COPENHAGEN: 35 mayors from different cities across the world assembled in Copenhagen for the C40 World Mayors Summit to discuss the ongoing climate change and devise solutions to curb the emissions of cities which account for population of more than 140 million. During the three-day course of the summit, which began on October 9, the mayors agreed that the global climate emergency seeks an unprecedented course of action from the world’s leading cities and by signing the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, pledged to work towards delivering clean air to their population, which is their basic human right. Progress by these major cities—which include London, Delhi, Los Angeles, Washington, Mexico City, Seoul, Athens and Paris—would drastically effect the global struggle towards carbon-free transit and curtailing vehicular emissions.

With the pledge, the cities have set up the necessary emission reduction targets and have agreed upon the implementation of sustainable clean air policies by the year 2025. Worldwide, cities account for about 70 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, significantly impacting the fight against climate change. City authorities would be held accountable by the citizens in achieving the set goals as public reporting on the progress has been ensured. The 35 signatories aim to reduce the annual average PM 2.5 emission levels to the established World Health Organisation’s (WHO) guidelines (10 μg/m³). In doing so, 40,000 annual deaths could be averted. This means cities will continually reduce their local emissions, and advocate for reductions in regional emissions, resulting in continuous declines in air pollution levels that move towards achieving the WHO standards.

On the opening day of the conference, 94 city mayors accorded with the Global Green New Deal. The deal aims to “drive an urgent, fundamental and irreversible transfer of global resources away from fossil fuels and into action that averts the climate emergency.” The deal has been backed by a range of other international players, including major corporates, civil societies and youth climate activists.

Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of Delhi, who attended the conference online via skype highlighted the plight caused by air pollution in Delhi and how the issue is being resolved, he said, “Delhi faces challenges ranging from Indo-Gangetic emissions, misaligned governance structures, and multiple government agencies in the nation’s capital, with the common citizen bearing its greatest burden. Thus, the Delhi Government has strived to make energy, mobility, water, infrastructure, health, and education into a sustainable public good. These initiatives have led to a 25 per cent reduction in particulate emissions in three years making Delhi a role model for Indian cities. Our clean air plan ahead focuses on an integrated system of governance with welfare outcomes and green solutions at scale at its core. These include the creation of city-scale 269 water bodies, greenscaping of 500 kilometers of roads and induction of 1000 electric buses as well as several policies, programs and projects to curb air pollution.”

Michael Bloomberg, C40 Board President and former New York mayor remarked that if top 100 US cities adopted the WHO guidelines, total carbon emissions that would be reduced be equivalent to takinf off 50 million vehicles of the street.

Scientific efforts initiated by the city of Kolkata were lauded at the conference as the city’s low carbon commute transition, which will soon see the commissioning of 5,000 e-buses and electrification of all ferries that will run across the Ganges river by 2030, was announced as one of the world’s seven best climate projects at the conference.