July 2020 – Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson
Climate Mayors Steering Committee Member

This year, mayors have faced crises that have shaken the country and disproportionately affected our underserved communities. Although we are often short on resources, we are the leaders on the front lines, dealing head-on with unprecedented challenges. And in the midst of these issues, we continue to contend with the implications of climate change on our cities.

At the local level, our job as leaders is to provide a safe and healthy environment for our residents and to be good stewards of our cities. As a father of two young boys, it is important to me that Dallas continues to thrive so that my sons can grow up in a better city than I did. It is imperative that we pursue policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, prepare for the impacts of climate change on residents and businesses, and work to build healthier, more prosperous communities.

That’s why I created the Environment & Sustainability Committee, the first-ever standalone Dallas City Council committee devoted to environmental issues, and I made the creation and implementation of the Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) its No. 1 priority.

In late May, the City Council unanimously passed the CECAP, the city’s first-ever environmental plan. The plan is built on engagement with an incredibly broad and diverse set of community stakeholders. This process, and the unanimous outcome, represented a significant step forward for equity, environmental justice, and resilience in Dallas.

The CECAP outlines 97 actions the city can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve environmental quality in every ZIP code in the city while also accommodating the needs of the business community. The plan has eight overarching goals:

  • Making buildings more efficient;
  • Generating and encouraging renewable, reliable, and affordable energy;
  • Ensuring communities have access to sustainable, affordable, transportation options;
  • Making Dallas a zero-waste community;
  • Protecting water resources and communities from flooding and drought;
  • Protecting and enhancing the city’s ecosystems, trees, and green spaces that in turn improve public health;
  • Providing all communities with access to healthy, locally grown, and sustainable food; and
  • Ensuring all Dallas communities breathe clean air.

For decades, Dallas has faced numerous environmental challenges. We have contended with air pollution, water pollution, and toxic hazards throughout our city, but particularly in underserved areas. I know this struggle firsthand; I grew up in the shadow of a lead smelter plant in West Dallas. Now, I believe, we are taking steps to overcome such challenges and to make Dallas a global leader in addressing environmental issues.

I am proud of our work to create this plan, which will mean a more just, equitable, and resilient future for all Dallasites, including my two sons.

Orlando Mayor Dyer, Miami Mayor Suarez, Columbia Mayor Benjamin and US Rep. Castor Speak About a Sustainable and Just Economic Recovery

The livestream panel was the first in the Climate Mayors National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery, an event series running through the fall with leaders in different regions across the U.S.

Watch the full panel discussion.

July 23, 2020 – Today, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Columbia Mayor Stephen Benjamin, and US Representative Kathy Castor participated in a panel discussion as part of the Climate Mayors National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery. The event convened like-minded institutions, partners, and policy makers for a discussion about successful climate initiatives in the Southeastern U.S., and ways that the panelists have collaborated across different levels of government.

Convened one day after Climate Mayors sent a letter to Congressional leaders, today’s conversation was the first in a Climate Mayors event series advocating for national leadership to prioritize recovery policies that are environmentally sustainable and socially just in the time of COVID-19. It was moderated by veteran journalist Tom O’Hara of The Invading Sea, a collaboration of 26 news organizations that cover climate change in Florida.

“There has never been a better time in history to re-imagine the transition towards an equitable, clean, and sustainable future,” said Climate Mayors Steering Committee member Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “As we look to move forward, we have an opportunity to rebuild our economies by doubling-down on our climate action work, to enhance the energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality in our homes and workplaces, accelerate more renewable energy and catalyze clean transportation and mobility solutions, such as zero-emission electric buses and vehicles.”

“No matter how large and global issues such as climate change may be, as Mayors we understand and can often see first-hand the impact they have at our local levels, and witness the detrimental effects on people we know in our communities,” said Climate Mayors member Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. “I am encouraged by the efforts of Climate Mayors who are developing the strategies to confront the climate-based threats, and pleased to join their ranks and seek the very real and actionable methods to adapt our local communities to overcoming those threats.”

“Today, we stand at the intersection of resiliency; a place where the many faces and forms of resilience converge and this panel should serve as a reminder for exactly that,” said Climate Mayors member Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “Resiliency is never about just any one issue. Whether we’re establishing new clean-energy infrastructure or building up a food distribution system, genuine sustainability is a network and it makes me proud to be a member of an organization that tackles resilience from the root source.”

“Mayors and local leaders are taking crucial steps to make their communities more resilient, filling a leadership void left by a president who mocks science, ignores public health experts, and calls the climate crisis a hoax,” said Chair Kathy Castor of the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. “Now more than ever, these local leaders deserve a strong federal partner to boost their local economies, protect the health and safety of families, and solve the climate crisis. We must work together on climate solutions for communities across America, as we prioritize environmental justice, unite behind the science, and ensure a robust economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Later events in the Climate Mayors series will highlight policies and initiatives undertaken by climate leaders in the Great Lakes region, Texas, and Pennsylvania. Mayors and their partners will highlight how environmental initiatives can help stimulate local economies, create jobs, improve public health, and reduce carbon emissions in the wake of COVID-19. They will also discuss the ways that their sustainability policies prioritize frontline communities and communities of color, who are more likely to be affected by pollution and the negative impacts of climate change.

“Mayors have long been on the frontlines of addressing critical issues in our communities, and in recent months they have responded to intersecting crises of COVID-19, climate change, racial inequity, and a rapid economic downturn,” said James Ritchotte, Director of Climate Mayors. “Climate Mayors are delivering results and leading important conversations about building a better tomorrow to ensure all communities are healthier, cleaner, and more resilient than before.”

For more Information on upcoming events in Climate Mayors National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery, please visit www.climatemayors.org.

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About Climate Mayors

Representing 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a peer-to-peer network of 461 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston). For more information, please visit www.climatemayors.org.

Media Contact: Melody Meyer, mmeyer@bpimedia.com; Grace Hemming, ghemming@bpimedia.com

Climate Mayors Urge Congressional Leadership to Advance a Green and Equitable Recovery

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader Schumer,

We are at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. We began the year committed to protecting human civilization and beating the ten-year clock counting down to massive, irreparable climate disruption. Three months in, an unimaginable public health emergency of COVID-19 has been accompanied by a profound economic crisis and a national reckoning with racial inequity faced by communities of color. These communities have long suffered disproportionately from air pollution and other toxic exposure and are now getting hit hardest by the health and economic impacts of this pandemic. As mayors and local leaders, we stand on the front lines of this moment – and we are determined to meet it with strength, resilience, resolve, and bold action to protect our planet and build a more just future for all Americans.

So far, Congress has passed important legislation to respond to the pandemic, invest in our small businesses, support working families, and increase our testing capacity. But these bills, while critical, remain incomplete. Our nation and our cities need our representatives in Washington D.C. to move forward with a bold and innovative recovery package that takes direct, strategic steps to lift up our most vulnerable residents and communities.

We need that kind of approach to continue managing the fallout from COVID-19 – much the same way we focus on equity and fairness in our work to tackle the climate crisis.

Climate Mayors – a  bipartisan network of over 450 U.S. mayors – is playing a leading role to preserve our environment, create good-paying green jobs, invest in clean air, clean water, and clean energy, and uphold the goals of the Paris Agreement at the local level. This commitment remains steadfast even in these times of turbulence and turmoil, and we will continue to prioritize policies and programs that help build for a better, more sustainable tomorrow.

As elected officials weigh the responses that incentivize a just, equitable, and sustainable economic recovery from this crisis, leaders in Congress should look no further than the recommendations from Climate Mayors attached to this letter. We lay out the core building blocks of a healthy, dynamic, fair economy founded on a level playing field – emphasizing innovation and infrastructure, lower energy costs, greater access to clean energy, and increased investment in public transit. We possess one of the greatest opportunities for economic growth and the reduction of greenhouse gases our generation has ever seen – and we have to seize it.

Cities across America have long demonstrated that economic growth and environmental stewardship go hand in hand – and now, our federal government can show the world that investments in a zero-carbon economy are investments in the future of our workforce, the well-being of generations, and the resilience of our infrastructure and public spaces. This moment demands that we accelerate our efforts to drive ambitious, systemic change.

Times of crisis can lead to confusion, or clarity. We Climate Mayors are expressing to our congressional leadership a shared clarity that we must tackle these crises together based on the following principles:

  1. Build for a Better Future: Returning to the status quo is not sufficient in meeting the challenges of climate change and inequities in our society. We must increase our resolve and ambition to reinvest in America’s communities.
  2. Lead with Equity: Federal investments in our municipalities must prioritize those communities who have been left behind, and frontline communities and people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and COVID-19.
  3. Prioritize Multiple Benefits: The best investments will create jobs, strengthen community cohesion and resilience, and improve health outcomes in our cities and towns.

Cities throughout the United States are under tremendous pressure. In the face of the immediate crises – as well as the omnipresent threat of climate change – we encourage Congress to look to our local governments and communities to find meaningful solutions to these shared challenges. If fully funded, effectively implemented, and flexible enough to adapt locally, the policies highlighted in the Annex attached will have a lasting impact on our ability to meet the scope and scale of the challenges before us.

Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations. We look forward to working with you to build a better future behind a clear vision for protecting the environment and making our economy work for everyone.

Respectfully,

Chair & Co-Chairs 

Mayor Eric Garcetti
Los Angeles, CA

Mayor Marty Walsh
Boston, MA

Mayor Sylvester Turner
Houston, TX

Steering Committee

Mayor Tim Keller
Albuquerque, NM

Mayor Ethan Berkowitz
Anchorage, AK

Mayor Steve Adler
Austin, TX

Mayor Michael Cahill
Beverly, MA

Mayor James Brainard
Carmel, IN

Mayor Eric Johnson
Dallas, TX

Mayor Michael Hancock
Denver, CO

Mayor Frank Cownie
Des Moines, IA

Mayor Mike Duggan
Detroit, MI

Mayor James Hovland
Edina, MN

Mayor Lucy Vins
Eugene, OR

Mayor Lioneld Jordan
Fayetteville, AR

Mayor Kirk Caldwell
Honolulu, HI

Mayor Greg Fischer
Louisville, KY

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway
Madison, WI

Mayor LaToya Cantrell
New Orleans, LA

Mayor Bill de Blasio
New York City, NY

Mayor Buddy Dyer
Orlando, FL

Mayor Kate Gallego
Phoenix, AZ

Mayor Bill Peduto
Pittsburgh, PA

Mayor Melvin Carter
Saint Paul, MN

Mayor Ron Nirenberg
San Antonio, TX

Mayor Jane Castor
Tampa, FL

Membership

Mayor Kathy Sheehan
Albany, NY

Mayor Justin Wilson
Alexandria, VA

Mayor Jeanne Sorg
Ambler, PA

Mayor Gary Goosman
Amesville, OH

Mayor Terence Roberts
Anderson, SC

Mayor Christopher Taylor
Ann Arbor, MI

Michael Winkler
Arcata, CA

Mayor Nancy Kaboolian
Ardsley, NY

Mayor Esther Manheimer
Asheville, NC

Mayor Torre
Aspen, CO

Mayor Keisha Bottoms
Atlanta, GA

Mayor Bernard Young
Baltimore, MD

Mayor Lee Kyriacou
Beacon, NY

Mayor Denny Doyle
Beaverton, OR

Mayor Jesse Arreguín
Berkeley, CA

Mayor Lauren McLean
Boise, ID

Mayor Sam Weaver
Boulder, CO

Mayor Steven B. Grant
Boynton Beach, FL

Mayor Chris Mehl
Bozeman, MT

Mayor Eric Mamula
Breckenridge, CO

Mayor Terry O’Connell
Brisbane, CA

Mayor Emily Beach
Burlingame, CA

Mayor Miro Weinberger
Burlington, VT

Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui
Cambridge, MA

Mayor Bob Hoog
Cape Canaveral, FL

Mayor Albert Robles
Carson, CA

Mayor Pam Hemminger
Chapel Hill, NC

Mayor John Tecklenburg
Charleston, SC

Mayor Vi Lyles
Charlotte, NC

Mayor Lori Lightfoot
Chicago, IL

Mayor John Cranley
Cincinnati, OH

Mayor Larry Schroeder
Claremont, CA

Mayor Charlene Lovett
Claremont, NH

Mayor Louis Sarbone
Coconut Creek, FL

Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn
College Park, MD

Mayor Brian Treece
Columbia, MO

Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin
Columbia, SC

Mayor Andrew Ginther
Columbus, OH

Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh
Cooperstown, NY

Mayor Brian Tobin
Cortland, NY

Mayor Biff Traber
Corvallis, OR

Mayor Mary Salas
Chula Vista, CA

Mayor Tim Meerbott
Cutler Bay, FL

Mayor Nan Whaley
Dayton, OH

Mayor Vincent Rosillo
Dobbs Ferry, NY

Mayor David G. Haubert
Dublin, CA

Mayor Roy D. Buol
Dubuque, IA

Mayor Emily Larson
Duluth, MN

Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski
Dunedin, FL

Mayor Nicole Nesby
Duquesne, PA

Mayor Ron Case
Eden Prairie, MN

Mayor Christian Patz
Emeryville, CA

Mayor Joe Schember
Erie, PA

Mayor Steve Hagerty
Evanston, IL

Mayor Colleen Mahr
Fanwood, NJ

Mayor Melanie Piana
Ferndale, MI

Mayor Coral Evans
Flagstaff, AZ

Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer
Framingham, MA

Mayor Lily Mei
Fremont, CA

Mayor Wade Troxell
Fort Collins, CO

Mayor Tom Henry
Fort Wayne, IN

Mayor Leeman Kessler
Gambier, OH

Mayor Jerome Prince
Gary, IN

Mayor Paula Perotte
Goleta, CA

Mayor Rosalynn Bliss
Grand Rapids, MI

Mayor Karylinn Echols
Gresham, OR

Mayor Eric Genrich
Green Bay, WI

Mayor Joy Cooper
Hallandale Beach, FL

Mayor Nicola Armacosti
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

Mayor Harry Kim
Hawaiii, HI

Mayor Barbara Halliday
Hayward, CA

Mayor Ravinder Bhalla
Hoboken, NJ

Mayor Alex Morse
Holyoke, MA

Mayor Bob Paul
Huntington Woods, MI

Mayor Serge Dedina
Imperial Beach, CA

Mayor Joe Hogsett
Indianapolis, IN

Mayor Derek Dobies
Jackson, MI

Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba
Jackson, MS

Mayor Steven M. Fulop
Jersey City, NJ

Mayor Derek Kawakami
Kaua’i, HI

Mayor Jose Alvarez
Kissimmee, FL

Mayor Indya Kincannon
Knoxville, TN

Mayor Andrew Hosmer
Laconia, NH

Mayor Adam Paul
Lakewood, CO

Mayor Danene Sorace
Lancaster, PA

Mayor Andy Schor
Lansing, MI

Mayor Ken Miyagishima
Las Cruces, NM

Mayor Craig A. Moe
Laurel, MD

Mayor Theodore Becker
Lewes, DE

Mayor Brian Bagley
Longmont, CO

Mayor Robert Garcia
Long Beach, CA

Mayor Richard Montgomery
Manhattan Beach, CA

Supervisor/Mayor Richard Parete
Marbletown, NY

Mayor Michael Victorino
Maui, HI

Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn
Medford, MA

Mayor Paul Brodeur
Melrose, MA

Mayor Jim Strickland
Memphis, TN

Mayor Francis Suarez
Miami, FL

Mayor Dan Gelber
Miami Beach, FL

Mayor Gudrip Bar
Middleton, WI

Mayor Benjamin Florsheim
Middletown, CT

Mayor Mark Gamba
Milwaukie, OR

Mayor Jacob Frey
Minneapolis, MN

Mayor Wayne M. Messam
Miramar, FL

Mayor Emily Niehaus
Moab, UT

Mayor Anne Watson
Montpelier, VT

Mayor Arlene Burns
Mosier, OR

Mayor Jennifer Gregerson
Mukilteo, WA

Mayor John Cooper
Nashville, TN

Mayor Kristopher Larsen
Nederland, CO

Mayor Ras Baraka
Newark, NJ

Mayor Donna Holaday
Newburyport, MA

Mayor Ruthanne Fuller
Newton, MA

Mayor Jon Mitchell
New Bedford, MA

Mayor David Narkewicz
Northampton, MA

Mayor Meredith Leighty
Northglenn, CO

Mayor Libby Schaaf
Oakland, CA

Mayor Cheryl Selby
Olympia, WA

Mayor Andy Beerman
Park City, UT

Mayor Jim Kenney
Philadelphia, PA

Mayor Linda Tyer
Pittsfield, MA

Mayor Kurt Metzger
Pleasant Ridge, MI

Mayor Ted Wheeler
Portland, OR

Mayor Jorge O. Elorza
Providence, RI

Mayor Cory Mason
Racine, WI

Mayor Tom Butt
Richmond, CA

Mayor Levar Stoney
Richmond, VA

Mayor Kim Norton
Rochester, MN

Mayor Caroline McCarley
Rochester, NH

Mayor Lovely Warren
Rochester, NY

Mayor Mike Fournier
Royal Oak, MI

Mayor Darrell Steinberg
Sacramento, CA

Mayor Kimberly Driscoll
Salem, MA

Mayor Erin Mendenhall
Salt Lake City, UT

Mayor London Breed
San Francisco, CA

Mayor Sam Liccardo
San Jose, CA

Mayor Pauline Cutter
San Leandro, CA

Mayor Heidi Harmon
San Luis Obispo, CA

Mayor Gary Philips
San Rafael, CA

Mayor Miguel Pulido
Santa Ana, CA

Mayor Justin Cummings
Santa Cruz, CA

Mayor Kevin McKeown
Santa Monica, CA

Mayor Meg Kelly
Saratoga Springs, NY

Mayor Van Johnson
Savannah, GA

Mayor Jenny Durkan
Seattle, WA

Mayor George Van Dusen
Skokie, IL

Mayor Scott Saunders
Smithville, TX

Mayor Joseph A Curtalone
Somerville, MA

Mayor Sally B. Phillips
South Miami, FL

Mayor Ronald Filippelli
State College, PA

Mayor Michael Tubbs
Stockton, CA

Mayor Lyda Krewson
St. Louis, MO

Mayor Rick Kriseman
St. Petersburg, FL

Mayor Michael J. Ryan
Sunrise, FL

Mayor Thomas W. Fromm
Swedesboro, NJ

Mayor Victoria Woodards
Tacoma, WA

Mayor John E. Dailey
Tallahassee, FL

Mayor Drew Fixell
Tarrytown, NY

Mayor DeLanie Young
Telluride, CO

Mayor Corey Woods
Tempe, AZ

Mayor Patrick J. Furey
Torrance, CA

Mayor Regina Romero
Tucson, AZ

Mayor Dave Chapin
Vail, CO

Mayor Jack McEvoy
Verona, NJ

Mayor Muriel Bowser
Washington, DC

Mayor Rebecca J. Garcia
Watsonville, CA

Mayor Russ Axelrod
West Linn, OR

Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath
West Hollywood, CA

Mayor Keith James
West Palm Beach, FL

Mayor Daniel Corona
West Wendover, NV

Mayor Thomas Roach
White Plains, NY

Mayor Brian Sager
Woodstock, IL

Mayor Lois Richardson
Ypsilanti, MI

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Climate Mayors Urge Congressional Leadership to Advance a Green and Equitable Recovery

198 mayors deliver letter to leaders in D.C. advocating a zero-carbon green economy that creates good-paying jobs and prioritizes equity

Read the letter from Climate Mayors here.

JULY 22, 2020 — Climate Mayors today sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging bold action to protect our planet and build a more just economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Representing a network of 461 U.S. mayors across the country committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement, Climate Mayors called on Congress to invest in an economic recovery that injects more resilience, equity, and sustainability into our communities.

“COVID-19 has laid bare the systemic inequities too often found at the heart of our communities – and when we start to emerge from this crisis, we must rebuild an economy that truly works for everyone,” said Climate Mayors co-founder and Chair, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Every member of the Climate Mayors network is putting health, fairness, and sustainability at the center of our local COVID-19 response and recovery plans, but we need national leadership to kick this work into overdrive and help us strengthen our economies and solve the climate crisis.”

With the focus squarely on rebuilding the economy and country stronger than ever before, the mayors have advocated for a nationwide transition to a zero-carbon economy – a step already happening in cities across the country and a bold move that will create good-paying green jobs, lead to cleaner air and lower emissions, improve public health, support resilience, and lift up our most vulnerable residents.

The global coronavirus pandemic has hit communities of color and low-income families particularly hard – the same families, workers, and neighborhoods who suffer most from the ill effects of climate change, including dangerous emissions, skyrocketing temperatures, intense wildfires, and extreme weather events like floods and hurricanes. Climate Mayors are determined to build a strong, green economy that ensures all Americans are prepared for future health, economic, and environmental shocks.

“Equity is at the heart of all we do in Boston,” said Climate Mayors Co-Chair Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “As we work towards an equitable recovery from COVID-19, it’s key we come together to ensure we are strengthening our communities so they are healthy, resilient, and give every resident the same opportunities they deserve.”

“Whether it is climate change or COVID-19, a city’s primary responsibility is to protect our most vulnerable,” said Climate Mayors Co-Chair Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “In cities like Houston, that means fighting a global pandemic in the middle of a heat wave and hurricane season. The connection between climate and community health has never been clearer or the need for strong, federal action more important. When we look to recovery, it is not enough to build back; we must build forward and create healthy cities and leaders in a global energy transition.”

Recognizing the need to work together at every level of government to move beyond this devastating pandemic, Climate Mayors strongly urged federal legislators to work with state and city leadership to build new policies and amplify existing programs that have proven effective.

In the letter, Climate Mayors lists several goals that Congress should prioritize as part of the recovery, including:

  • Build for a Better Future: Returning to the status quo is not sufficient in meeting the challenges of climate change and inequities in our communities. We must increase our resolve and ambition to reinvest in America’s communities.
  • Leading with Equity: Federal investments in our municipalities must prioritize those communities who have been left behind, and frontline communities and people of color who have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change and COVID-19.
  • Prioritizing Multiple Benefits: The best investments will create jobs, strengthen communities, and improve health outcomes in our cities and towns.

“For the past five months, Climate Mayors have been on the frontlines responding to the public health and economic crises caused by COVID-19, and to the calls for racial justice across the country,” said James Ritchotte, Director of Climate Mayors. “Amid these intersecting challenges, Climate Mayors remain committed to policies and initiatives that make their communities more just, sustainable, and resilient to future shocks. This work should not be on the shoulders of local leaders alone — cities need constructive partners in our federal government who will prioritize a green and equitable economic recovery.”

The letter includes a sample of recommended policies and programs to advance a just, equitable, and resilient economic recovery that will put Americans back to work and create cleaner, healthier, more livable communities. The policy recommendations are accompanied by success stories from Climate Mayors member cities where similar policies have led to community benefit.

Please find a full version of the letter here.

On July 23, Climate Mayors will be kicking off its National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery, a virtual speaker series advocating for national leadership to prioritize recovery policies that are environmentally sustainable and socially just in the time of COVID-19. The first event will focus on the Southeast with a panel featuring Climate Mayors Steering Committee member Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Climate Mayors member Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Climate Mayors member Columbia Mayor Stephen Benjamin and U.S. Representative Kathy Castor from Florida’s 14th District and Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. For more information on the series, you can read the full release here. Register for the July 23 event here.

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About Climate Mayors: Representing 74 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a peer-to-peer network of 461 U.S. city mayors who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston). For more information, please visit www.climatemayors.org.

Media Inquiries: Melody Meyer, mmeyer@bpimedia.com; Grace Hemming, ghemming@bpimedia.com

Climate Mayors Launch National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery

The leadership series will feature conversations in regions across the U.S., highlighting how environmental initiatives will help stimulate local economies, create jobs, improve public health, and reduce carbon emissions in the wake of COVID-19

Read the top takeaways from the series.

Watch the Ohio Valley event’s full panel discussion.

Listen to the Great Lakes event’s full panel discussion.

Watch the Texas event’s full panel discussion.

 Watch the Southeast event’s full panel discussion.

JULY 14, 2020 – Today, Climate Mayors, the network of 453 U.S. mayors committed to upholding the Paris Climate Agreement, announced the Climate Mayors National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery, a virtual speaker series advocating for national leadership to prioritize recovery policies that are environmentally sustainable and socially just in the time of COVID-19.

Each livestream event will feature members of Climate Mayors and other leaders from a specific U.S. region, and convene like-minded institutions, partners, and policy makers for a discussion about successful local climate initiatives, and how to drive a just, equitable, and resilient economic recovery. Climate Mayors and partners will also discuss the ways that their sustainability policies prioritize frontline communities and communities of color, who are more likely to be affected by pollution and the negative impacts of climate change.

“When the COVID-19 crisis ends, we have to heed the lessons of this moment in our recovery –– placing communities hit hardest by this pandemic on the path to a more just, sustainable, and healthy future,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chair and co-founder of Climate Mayors. “Hailing from every part of the country, Climate Mayors are leading the response today and stand ready to pave the road ahead with climate action that boosts jobs, spurs equitable growth, delivers cleaner air, and lowers emissions for frontline families.”

The Climate Mayors National Dialogue on Green and Equitable Recovery will kick off later this month in the Southeast with a panel featuring Climate Mayors Steering Committee member Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Climate Mayors member Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Climate Mayors member Columbia Mayor Stephen Benjamin, and US Representative Kathy Castor from Florida’s 14th District and Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, moderated by veteran journalist Tom O’Hara of The Invading Sea, a collaboration of 26 news organizations that cover climate change in Florida. Watch the full panel discussion. 

Events later in the summer and fall will feature Climate Mayors and partners from the Great Lakes region, Texas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania. For more Information on the upcoming Climate Mayors livestream panel discussions, including dates and times as they are announced, please visit www.climatemayors.org.

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About Climate Mayors: Representing 72 million Americans from 48 states, Climate Mayors is a diverse network of 453 U.S. city leaders who have committed to fighting climate change. Originally founded in 2014, the network’s ranks swelled to almost 400 mayors in response to the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. Climate Mayors commit to taking ambitious action to meet each of their cities’ current climate goals, while working together towards achieving our national Paris targets. Climate Mayors is founded and Chaired by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, and Co-Chaired by Mayors Sylvester Turner (Houston) and Martin J. Walsh (Boston). For more information, please visit www.climatemayors.org.

Media Contact: Melody Meyer, mmeyer@bpimedia.com; Grace Hemming, ghemming@bpimedia.com