- Title: Sydney, Vancouver mayors vow to fight climate change despite Trump
- Date: 1st December 2016
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (NOVEMBER 30, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR C40 MAYORS' SUMMIT VENUE PEOPLE LEAVING VENUE PRE-REGISTRATION AT EVENT VARIOUS OF EVENT / BANNER AT EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYDNEY LORD MAYOR, CLOVER MOORE, SAYING: "Denial doesn't stop climate change accelerating so it's even more important for cities to do their bit and it's really important; I think an important message from Sydney to the U.S. cities is: 'Notwithstanding a Trump-type government, you can get on and do an incredible amount,' as we have shown." VANCOUVER MAYOR, GREGOR ROBERTSON, PREPARING FOR INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) VANCOUVER MAYOR, GREGOR ROBERTSON, SAYING: "In Canada and Australia we've had very difficult governments in recent years that have denied climate change and slowed down progress to adapt. Now, we're seeing a big shift from Obama (U.S. President Barack Obama) to Trump (U.S. President-elect Donald Trump) that hopefully isn't destabilising, given the global consensus that has momentum but it's waking everyone up to a potential new reality that the United States could slow the national momentum down." VARIOUS OF VENUE EXTERIOR / BANNER
- Embargoed: 16th December 2016 18:24
- Keywords: Mayors C40 Mayors' Summit Sydney Vancouver
- Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Reuters ID: LVA0015B205Z7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Cities around the world can combat climate change without national government support, the mayors of Sydney and Vancouver said on Wednesday (November 30), amid fears that a Donald Trump U.S. presidency could undermine efforts to limit global warming.
The two were in Mexico City for the C40 Mayors' Summit, where nearly 50 mayors and deputies from around the globe will discuss environmental issues such as air pollution.
Since his election victory, President-elect Trump has said he was keeping an "open mind" on whether to pull out of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement to tackle climate change. Trump had previously called man-made global warming a hoax perpetrated by the Chinese.
"Denial doesn't stop climate change accelerating so it's even more important for cities to do their bit and it's really important; I think an important message from Sydney to the U.S. cities is: 'Notwithstanding a Trump-type government, you can get on and do an incredible amount,' as we have shown," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore told Reuters.
Cities are responsible for up to 70 percent of the world's harmful greenhouse gases, according to a 2011 report by the United Nations.
Earlier in November, a group of 40 U.S. mayors sent an open letter to Trump stating that they would forge ahead in tackling climate change, even without his support.
"In Canada and Australia we've had very difficult governments in recent years that have denied climate change and slowed down progress to adapt. Now, we're seeing a big shift from Obama (U.S. President Barack Obama) to Trump (U.S. President-elect Donald Trump) that hopefully isn't destabilising, given the global consensus that has momentum but it's waking everyone up to a potential new reality that the United States could slow the national momentum down," said Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson told Reuters at the event.
Having faced less interest from national governments in the past, both Robertson and Moore said that they have turned to the private sector to help solve climate-related problems.
The Paris accord seeks to limit global warming to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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