Let’s Implement the Paris Agreement Before the Flood!

Originally posted Huffington Post

By Michael Bloomberg, Anne Hidalgo, Eduardo Paes

Our cities are on the frontline of the climate change crisis. Rising sea levels threaten millions of citizens with flooding, while colder winters and hotter summers take their toll on the most vulnerable in our cities. The noxious emissions from vehicles passing through our city centres pollute the air that our children breathe.

As mayors and climate leaders, we see every day the scale of the threat posed by climate change and the impact it has on the lives of our constituents. Gradual change and incremental reforms to energy markets, transport systems and recycling rates are no longer enough. Every citizen, business leader, president, prime-minister and mayor must seize this moment to transform our cities. By doing that, we can transform our world.

Today is a great day to start this transformation. The Paris Agreement on Climate Change enters into force, binding more than 190 nations to move towards a sustainable future. This agreement specifically aims keep the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial averages.

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