Megacities To Convene In Johannesburg for Fifth Biennial C40 Cities Mayors Summit
- 44 cities confirmed, with additional expected, representing more than an estimated 15 percent of global GDP
- C40 to release groundbreaking new data on climate change trends and city efforts to take climate change actions
- Attending cities to share progress on climate action to date
- 108th Mayor of New York, Michael R. Bloomberg, to ceremonially pass chairmanship of C40 to Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes
Johannesburg, South Africa (January 13, 2014) – Mayors and top officials from more than 44 cities will join global leaders for the fifth biennial C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Mayors Summit to discuss their measurable action and future opportunity for action in the fight to address climate change and climate risks. The Summit will be hosted by the City of Johannesburg from February 4-6, 2014.
Groundbreaking new information that shows the magnitude of city-level action against climate change will be released along with new data on city-lead climate change trends.
With the theme ‘Towards resilient and liveable megacities – demonstrating action, impact and opportunity’, the Summit will be co-hosted by the Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Councillor Mpho Parks Tau, C40 Chair and Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes, and the 108th Mayor of New York City and President of C40 board, Michael R. Bloomberg. This unique event provides attendees unparalleled access to a global network of leading experts, opinion makers, and municipal representatives who have made a commitment to address climate change in a substantive, results-driven fashion. It is also a catalyst for additional action by and collaboration among cities.
“It is with great pride that I assume the Chairmanship of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and I look forward to my first official summit as Chair,” said Mayor Paes. “I am committed to building on the great work Mayor Bloomberg has already carried out and developing partnerships and initiatives to further the positive legacy that the C40 is creating in order to combat global climate change. I also relish the opportunity to present the valuable lessons that Rio de Janeiro is learning in the run up to the Olympics in 2016. With 70 per cent of the world’s population predicted to live in urban areas by 2050, we as cities are working to the tightest of deadlines in order to preserve all our futures.”
“Hosting this C40 summit is a privilege for the City of Johannesburg, South Africa, and the African continent” said Mayor Tau. “As mayors of big cities, we have a responsibility to provide leadership and to share our experiences, best practice and capacity for innovation with the rest of the globe. We take action on this front because of our shared conviction that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In the end, we are measured not by how much we undertake, but by what we finally accomplish.”
“Cities around the world are taking action against climate change, and C40 cities are leading the way. As a result, as our research shows, we are having a real and quantifiable impact on global greenhouse gas emissions,” said President of the C40 Board, Michael R. Bloomberg. “While national governments convene summits to discuss this serious issue, the C40 Cities Mayors Summit will be focused on action – and the specific steps we can take to protect the planet and grow our cities.”
A landmark report, Climate Action in Megacities Volume 2.0 (CAM 2.0), will be released during the Summit. Developed in partnership with Arup, this report quantifies the measurable actions taken by the world’s megacities and how they are leading the way to reduce carbon emissions and climate risks. The report illuminates a clear trend of cities evolving early, experimental actions into long-term transformative programs.
Key discussions scheduled during the Summit include:
- Rachel Kyte, World Bank Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change, will participate in a conversation on how sustainability is used to drive socio-economic development in Megacities
- Andrew Steer, President and CEO of World Resources Institute, will join a panel discussion on the importance of measurements and data in advancing city climate agendas
Press Conference: All C40 Mayors will participate in a press opportunity to release the C40’s Climate Action in Megacities 2.0, which demonstrates the measurable progress that C40 Cities have made since the last C40 Summit in São Paulo, as well as an overview of the actions C40 Cities have taken to continue this momentum. Additional press announcements will also be made.
The Summit will further include the handing over of the new C40 Chair from outgoing Chair and President of C40, Michael R. Bloomberg, to Mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes.
Mayors from 22 cities have confirmed, with more to be expected. These cities include:
- Addis Ababa
- Basel
- Bogotá
- Copenhagen
- Dhaka N
- Curitiba
- Hong Kong
- Houston
- Jakarta
- Johannesburg
- Lima
- Mexico City
- Milan
- Oslo
- Philadelphia
- Portland
- Rio de Janeiro
- Rome
- Rotterdam
- Sydney
- Vancouver
- Venice
Senior City Officials have confirmed from an additional 22 cities including:
- Amsterdam
- Austin
- Beijing
- Berlin
- Buenos Aires
- Caracas
- Changwon
- Dhaka South
- London
- Los Angeles
- Melbourne
- Moscow
- New Orleans
- New York
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Seoul
- Shanghai
- Stockholm
- Tokyo
- Warsaw
- 2Yokohama
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a network of large and engaged cities from around the world, committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable global climate-related actions that generate measurable reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate risks.
Please register by January 20, 2014 for media accreditation using the following private link: http://www.cvent.com/d/94q9lw/4W
For enquiries about C40 please contact:
Mike Marinello, Director of Global Communications
mmarinello@c40.org
+1-917-683-8610
For media enquiries please contact:
Nkosinathi Nkabinde
nkosinathin@joburg.org.za
+27 83 4087787
OR
Jean Robertson
jean@vumareputation.com
+27 82 9947744
OR
Phumzile Ntola
phumzile@vumareputation.com
+27 82 7752703