Statement: Climate Mayors and C40 Cities Call for a FY25 Spending Bill That Invests in Healthy Communities and Addresses Growing Risks of Extreme Heat

Washington, DC (June 24, 2024) – As negotiations for 2025 fiscal year commence on Capitol Hill, Climate Mayors, a bipartisan network of over 350 U.S. mayors committed to climate action; and C40 Cities, a network of mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities, including 14 cities in the United States, wrote a letter to Congressional and Appropriations leaders urging them to pass a FY25 spending bill that invests in a sustainable and just future for Americans. The organizations also called for the inclusion of the Extreme Heat Emergency Act as extreme heat and record temperatures strike communities across the country. 

On behalf of the organizations, Kate Wright, Executive Director of Climate Mayors, and Kate Johnson, Interim Regional Director, North America at C40 Cities issued the following statement: 

“With sweltering weather across the country proving the need to address the climate crisis, Congress should prioritize investing in resilient infrastructure, reducing energy burden, and increasing energy efficient housing – all while empowering local governments to address community issues directly. In order to move forward in these ways, Congress must also protect the foundation of today’s green investment – the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

“Climate deniers continue to attempt to gut the most historic climate legislation ever passed – legislation that is delivering good jobs, reduced costs, and improved health to people all across the country. Mayors and local governments are seeing firsthand how the investments from the IRA and BIL are already boosting local economies and investing in environmental justice communities. From tax rebates on clean home energy to millions in grants for clean energy projects in vulnerable communities, these investments are working for America. 

“The future cannot wait – and we cannot ignore the extreme weather events happening today. With heat waves – the leading cause of disaster deaths in the U.S. – sweeping the nation for two consecutive weeks, we also call for the inclusion of H.R. 3965, Extreme Heat Emergency Act, which would add “extreme heat” as a disaster that FEMA could allocate funds for relief. Wildfire smoke and heat waves are only continuing to worsen and without giving FEMA the authority to deliver aid and relief with a federal declaration of disaster, Americans will needlessly suffer. 

“We must not only meet this critical moment to invest in the American people and the economy, but also continue the momentum to build more resilient and healthy communities for years to come.”

In the letter, Climate Mayors and C40 Cities called for: 

• Supporting and empowering local governments in addressing community energy burdens through direct, flexible funding;

• Increasing the EPA’s core capacities to protect public health and the environment;

• Increasing funding to grow support for climate-resilient infrastructure and update federal response to mitigate future climate-related disasters. And the inclusion of H.R. 3965, Extreme Heat Emergency Act, which adds “extreme heat” as an eligible disaster under the STAFFORD Act, in the final appropriations bills;

• Increasing funding to reduce energy burdens and help protect communities of color and low income constituents with increasingly frequent extreme weather emergencies;

• Supporting funding for climate friendly housing to build new, resilient, and energy efficient affordable housing in cities; and

• Avoiding any rescissions from the Inflation Reduction Act or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Read the full letter here.

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About Climate Mayors:

Climate mayors is a bipartisan network that has mobilized more than 750 U.S. mayors since 2014, demonstrating climate leadership through meaningful actions in their communities. representing 46 states and nearly 60 million Americans, the climate mayors coalition reflects U.S. cities’ commitment to climate progress. For more information, please visit our website and follow Climate Mayors on Twitter and LinkedIn. For media inquiries please contact climatemayors@fgsglobal.com. Media Contact: climatemayors@fgsglobal.com 

About C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: 

C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere, can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. We work alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to support mayors to halve emissions by 2030 and help phase out fossil use while increasing urban climate resilience and equity.The current co-chairs of C40 are Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, United Kingdom and Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone; three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board. C40’s work is made possible by our three strategic funders: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and Realdania.To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit our website or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.