In the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, faculties and universities and businesses representing a sizeable proportion of the U.S. economy can pursue bold climate goals, operating along to take forceful action and to make sure that the U.S. remains a world leader in reducing emissions,” the coalition, that currently consists of over1,000 cities, counties, states, universities and businesses, aforementioned in a very statement discharged Monday.
Going by the name “We are Still In,” the coalition referred to as itself “the broadest cross section of the americaneconomy nevertheless assembled in pursuit of climate action.” It includes states like new york and CA and quite a dozen Fortune five hundred corporations.
The effort is led by philanthropist and former new york city politician Michael Bloomberg.
“In the absence of a supportive federal coordinating role, [city, state, business, and civil society] actors will moreclosely coordinate their own decarbonization actions. jointly, they’re going to redouble their efforts to make sure that the U.S. achieves the carbon emissions reductions it pledged beneath the Paris Agreement,” Bloomberg wrote in a very letter to the global organization secretary-general.
He added: “We do not intend to weigh down.”
The philanthropist has promised to contribute the $15 million the UN climate change secretariat currently stands to lose from Washington.
The president’s call to drag out of the Paris Agreement, that permits individual countries to line their own targets for reducing carbon emissions, has dramatically enhanced pressure on city, state and private sector leaders to try and do more to fight global warming within their own domains — starting a brand new and sophisticated chapter within the U.S. fight against global climate change.
But despite growing participation, the freshly fashioned coalition was short on specific institutional commitments to lower carbon emissions. Bloomberg aforementioned he can take the lead on coordinating specific, quantitativecommitments within the returning months.
So far, pledges have for the most part return from cities and states: within the days since the president’s announcement, 211 U.S. mayors have pledged to follow Paris Agreement standards for their cities and 9 U.S. governors have fashioned a “climate alliance” to coordinate broad action.
Two outstanding business leaders, Tesla and SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk and Disney chairman Bob Iger, resigned from the White House business consultive council last week to protest the president’s call.