Cities across the country are showing leadership in promoting
renewable electricity, low-carbon transportation, and energy
efficiency, according to preliminary results of a survey jointly
conducted by The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the Center
for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). The two organizations have
partnered to form the Alliance for a Sustainable Future.
The survey, to be released Saturday at USCM’s 85th annual
conference, also found overwhelming interest by cities in
collaborating with the private sector to accelerate climate
efforts, and identified several opportunities to do so.
Among the key findings:
- 69 percent of responding cities generate or purchase renewable
electricity to power city buildings or operations. An additional 22
percent are considering doing so.
- 63 percent already buy green vehicles, including hybrid,
electric, natural gas, and biodiesel, for their municipal fleets.
30 percent are considering it.
- 71 percent have energy efficiency policies for new municipal
buildings, and 66 percent for existing municipal buildings.
Responses to the survey have come from 66 cities, ranging in
size from 21,000 to 8.5 million residents across 30 states. These
cities spend more than $1.2 billion annually in electricity,
representing significant purchasing power that can help shape the
market.
The survey, which will be open through the summer, marks the
launch by USCM and C2ES of an ongoing effort to collect information
on progress cities are making in response to climate change,
identify innovative solutions, and share them with mayors
nationwide. Examples will include opportunities for public-private
partnerships to help cities achieve their emissions-cutting goals
not only within their own municipal operations and facilities but
also community-wide.
The survey shows overwhelming interest by cities in working with
one another (90 percent) and with the private sector (87 percent)
to accelerate climate action, a finding that takes on even more
importance following President Trump’s decision to pull the U.S.
out of the Paris Climate Agreement—an agreement both organizations
strongly supported.
The survey found opportunities for greater collaboration. For
example:
- Roughly half of responding cities are incentivizing energy
efficiency in new and existing commercial and residential
buildings.
- Less than half have policies or programs that help citizens and
businesses choose renewable electricity options.
- 66 percent of responding cities have public charging stations,
while 36 percent are facilitating private infrastructure for
electric vehicles.
Read more about the alliance and a summary of survey
results to date here.
“Cities and companies are making progress, but more can and must
be done. Cities small and large across the country see the benefits
of improving energy efficiency and deploying more clean energy and
transportation,” said Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales, chairman of
the alliance steering committee. “But we need to create a baseline
so we can measure our ongoing progress. Sustainability is a smart
strategy for the future, and cities and companies need to learn
from one another.”
“The nation’s mayors are poised to take an even greater
leadership role in fighting climate change and protecting cities
from its negative impacts. Working together with the business
community, we can achieve deeper results more quickly and more
broadly,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of The U.S.
Conference of Mayors.
“Cities and companies both realize the risks of climate impacts
and the economic opportunities of climate solutions. By partnering,
they can keep the U.S. heading in the right direction toward a
sustainable future,” said C2ES President Bob Perciasepe.
The USCM-C2ES alliance, which launched last summer, creates a
framework for mayors and business leaders to develop concrete
approaches to reduce carbon emissions, speed deployment of new
technology, implement sustainable development strategies, and
respond to the growing impacts of climate change. Santa Fe Mayor
Javier Gonzales leads the public-private steering committee, with
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski as vice chair. JPMorgan Chase
& Co., Duke Energy, and AECOM are founding co-sponsors.
“Across America, cities are facing different
climate threats and they’re deploying new
clean technologies to mitigate against them and seize
economic opportunities. What many cities share is a dedication to
lean forward and drive innovation. AECOM is proud to be
working with mayors on building a sustainable and
resilient future," said Josh Sawislak, Global Director of
Resilience at AECOM.
The Alliance for a Sustainable Future will discuss the
survey results and showcase sustainability innovation Saturday,
June 24, in Miami Beach at The U.S. Conference of Mayors
85th annual conference.
Details are below.
Alliance for a Sustainable FutureDate:
Saturday, June 24, 7:30- 9:00 a.m.
Place: Rooms Splash 9/10, Upper Lobby Level,
The Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach, FL
Speakers will include: Santa Fe Mayor Javier
Gonzales, AECOM Global Director of Resilience Josh Sawislak,
Duke Energy Managing Director of Environmental and Energy Policy
Kevin Leahy, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, Boston Mayor Martin J.
Walsh, Dubuque (IA) Mayor Roy Buol, Denton (TX) Mayor Chris Watts,
Austin Mayor Steve Adler.
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About The U.S. Conference of Mayors: The
U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization
of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly
1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is
represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the
mayor. Learn more at www.usmayors.org.
About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy
Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit
organization working to forge practical solutions to climate
change. Our mission is to advance strong policy and action to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and
strengthen resilience to climate impacts. Learn more
at www.c2es.org.
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b467ba9f-4dba-4743-9ef5-b6c0d8a3aad8
Elena Temple-Webb
The U.S. Conference of Mayors
202-286-1100
etemple@usmayors.org
Laura Rehrmann
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
703-516-0621
press@c2es.org