After Vilifying Trump's Pullout From Climate Pact, City Hall Will Host Climate Summit
By Rachel Cromidas in News on Jun 21, 2017 8:19PM
Photo by Tyler LaRiviere/Chicagoist
Just weeks after President Donald Trump shocked climate advocates around the world and others concerned about global warming by pulling the United States out of the landmark, international climate change prevention pact the Paris Accord, Chicago has announced it will host a climate summit for North American Cities.
The City of Chicago was one of nearly 300 cities around the U.S. to renounce Trump's move earlier this month and to commit to following or exceeding the Paris Accord guidelines on reducing carbon emissions, even without the U.S.'s formal sign-on. On Wednesday the Mayor's Office announced plans to host a climate summit on the Paris Accord and other initiatives to address climate change for mayors of cities around the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Chicago is partnering with the international group the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy to host the summit, which will take place in the late fall, the mayor announced in a press release.
"We are ready to show the world that we will not wait on others to forge our destiny to more sustainable and more productive cities," Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement.
Former United Nations official Christiana Figueres, the covenant's co-chair, stressed in the announcement that it is in the economic and environmental self-interests of cities to follow the Paris Accord. The purpose of the summit will be to help mayors discuss how they will reduce carbon emissions in their cities, "regardless of action taken by their respective federal governments," the release said. The mayors are also expected to announce local environmental programs. Chicago is currently working to convert the city's municipal buildings to run on 100 percent renewable energy by 2025.
The exact dates and other details of the summit have not been announced yet.