MAYOR SMITH JOSEPH PARTICIPATES IN THE COMPACT OF MAYORS TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE
North Miami, FL – 12/29/2015
As Part of the World’s
Largest Coalition of City Leaders Addressing Climate Change, North Miami’s
Mayor Pledges to Take Action in solidarity with the UN’s Climate Change
Agreement
Approved in Paris,
France
Mayor Smith Joseph applauds the historic climate change agreement reached by
195 countries represented at the COP21 Climate Change Summit held in Paris,
France on December 12, 2015. The agreement symbolizes a collective commitment
to combat climate change and pursue actions towards lowering greenhouse gas
emissions in an effort to build a resilient sustainable future.
Recently, Mayor Smith
Joseph joined the
Compact of Mayors, a global coalition of
City leaders dedicated to reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. By
participating in the Compact of Mayors, Mayor Smith Joseph will reinforce his
commitment to climate action by working with City staff, businesses and
residents to monitor local greenhouse gas emissions, assess its current effects
of climate change in the City, create an action plan including clear and
ambitious reduction targets, and formulate adaptation strategies to help
safeguard the City’s future.
“By
committing to the Compact of Mayors, we are continuing in our work to make
North Miami a sustainable destination where people recognize the value in
protecting and preserving today’s resources for the benefit of future genera to
live and where businesses want to invest. The actions we take at a local level
will have a global impact; and by improving our City, we will be helping create
a better world for today’s citizens and generations to come.” – Mayor Smith
Joseph D.O., Pharm.D.
As one of the key
initiatives launched at the UN Climate Summit in September of 2014 by the UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for Cities and Climate
Change, Michael R. Bloomberg, the Compact of Mayors is the world’s largest
collective effort to date by cities to tackle climate change, proactively
prepare for its impacts, and regularly track and report progress. The Compact
was activated under the leadership of the global city networks—C40 Cities Climate
Leadership Group (C40), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI)
and the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)—and with support from
UN-Habitat, the UN’s lead agency on urban issues.
"The Compact of
Mayors reflects the commitment that cities are making to reduce carbon
emissions and the crucial role they play in confronting climate change,"
said Bloomberg. "The more cities that take part in the Compact, the bigger
impact it will have. I applaud all of the mayors who have joined, and look
forward to welcoming more cities into our growing coalition."
Recent
research shows that if every local government in the world took action in
accordance with the Compact of Mayors—particularly by targeting their building
energy, transportation, and waste sectors—they could reduce global greenhouse
gas emissions by the equivalent of cutting the world’s annual coal use by more
than half.
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About the Compact of
Mayors
The
Compact of Mayors is a global coalition of mayors and city officials pledging
to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, enhance resilience to climate change,
and to track their progress transparently. The Compact was launched in
September of 2014 by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for
Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg. The Compact was activated
under the leadership of the global city networks—C40 Cities Climate Leadership
Group (C40), ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and the
United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)—and with support from UN-Habitat,
the UN’s lead agency on urban issues. In the lead-up to the 2015 United Nations
Climate Change Conference in Paris, the unity and ambition among cities through
the Compact of Mayors will inspire world leaders to follow suit and forge a
global climate deal in Paris.
About
North Miami, Florida
North
Miami, Florida (pop. 60,000+) is a diverse community, located midway between
Miami and Fort Lauderdale. As the sixth largest city of Miami-Dade
County, North Miami is committed to growth in its business community, while
also focusing on issues such as education, the arts, leisure activities, and
sustainability to provide a viable future for its residents and to preserve the
city’s rich history since incorporating in 1926.