By Staff Reporter |
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego will now lead Climate Mayors, a coalition of 350 American mayors across 46 states working to advance progressive climate policies.
In a press release from the organization, Gallego committed to supplementing federal funding for climate initiatives using the private sector and philanthropy, expand influence of the Western Water Security Cohort into local governance, “extreme heat” mitigation, and further align member cities’ actions with Climate Mayors initiatives.
“I’ll focus on addressing extreme heat, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring all cities have the tools they need to advance climate action,” said Gallego.
Other members of Climate Mayors leadership include Boise, Idaho, mayor Lauren McLean; Atlanta, Georgia, mayor Andre Dickens; and Cleveland, Ohio, mayor Justin Bibb.
Last month, Climate Mayors committed to supporting the Biden administration’s new National Determined Contribution (NDC) target of 61 to 66 percent economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2035.
Climate Mayors executive director Kate Wright indicated the goals were feasible through commitments to energy and water efficiency programs and the expansion of “green” and “clean” infrastructure.
“Today’s announcement of a new U.S. NDC serves as an important goalpost for our unwavering ambition as subnational actors continue to lead the fight against climate change and advance America’s economic competitiveness,” said Wright. “Our membership of over 350 U.S. Mayors is ready to do its part to achieve our national target and build on the progress we’ve made over the last decade.”
The organization’s climate change initiatives include electric vehicle expansion, data collection on each city’s emission levels, a tracker for federal funding and grant opportunities, and provision of grants for partnerships between local governments and nonprofits.
Climate Mayors launched an electric vehicle purchasing collaborative in 2018 to expand city governance control and influence into county governments, transit agencies, port authorities, and colleges and universities. The coalition also committed to electrifying at least 50 percent of municipal fleets by 2030, and increasing electric vehicle chargers by at least 500 percent by 2035 (with 40 percent at least benefitting “disadvantaged” communities).
Last week, Climate Mayors announced a framework to develop equity-oriented electric vehicle plans. The coalition developed the framework alongside UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy and Environment, The Greenlining Institute, and Forth Mobility. According to the framework, electric vehicle infrastructure should prioritize lower-income, non-white communities.
The coalition partnered with C40 Cities and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network to organize allocation of federal funding at the local level. Climate Mayors’ webpage for this planning links to the C40 Cities Knowledge Hub, which indicates that C40 Cities leads on the agenda for this initiative.
Gallego also sits on the steering committee of C40 Cities, serving as the North American representative on the international scale. As reported previously, a priority of C40 Cities is to eliminate meat and dairy consumption, new clothing purchases, and private car ownership.
Climate Mayors was founded in 2014 by three top Democrats: Biden’s ambassador to India and former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, president/CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and former Houston mayor Annise Parker, and former Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter.
Several other Arizona mayors retain memberships within Climate Mayors: Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Tempe Mayor Corey Woods, Sedona Mayor Scott Jablow, Nogales Mayor Jorge Maldonado, and Flagstaff Mayor Becky Daggett.
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