In the absence of national leadership, cities like Boston and LA are working together to fight climate change
This week, I’m in Los Angeles with a coalition from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. This trip is part of a program called City to City, which connects Boston’s leaders in government and business with our counterparts in other cities. It allows us to share best practices for economic development and community resilience, and bring bold new ideas back home to Boston.
It’s never been more important for cities to work together. Right now, there is a real lack of Federal leadership on the issues that matter most to people in our neighborhoods. Cities like Boston and LA are rising to the challenge because our residents deserve better.
This is the second time in two months LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and I have met up to collaborate. In October, we both traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark for the C40 World Mayors Climate Summit. Our cities may be on opposite coasts, and our weather, population size, and biggest industries vary a lot. These differences (and sports rivalries) aside, Mayor Garcetti and I share a lot of the same priorities, especially when it comes to climate change. As wildfires continue to burn in the areas around LA, and coastal flooding becomes increasingly common in the Boston area, it’s clear to both of us that our residents’ health and safety depends on cutting emissions and building more resilient cities now.
In 2017 I announced plans to make Boston entirely carbon neutral by the year 2050, and from now on we’ll be dedicating at least 10% of our capital funding to projects that will protect our neighborhoods from storms, floods, and heatwaves. Mayor Garcetti has also made strong commitments to cut carbon emissions and address the specific risks Los Angeles is facing. Together, we’re elevating the urgency of climate action on the national and global levels. Both Mayor Garcetti and I both have leadership roles in the C40 cities, a network of nearly 100 of the world’s largest cities committed to honoring the Paris Climate Accord.
At the C40 Summit in Copenhagen last month, we and our fellow Mayors shared best practices, so we can all cut carbon emissions faster. We made new, accelerated commitments to eliminate waste and recycle more efficiently. And, in the absence of leadership from many national governments, including our own White House, we resolved to lead this work on behalf of the 700 million city dwellers we represent and the single planet we all share.
Other Mayors were very interested to hear what we’re doing in Boston, especially our newly updated Climate Action Plan, which includes a commitment for all new municipal buildings to be zero net carbon. There was also a lot of excitement about Resilient Boston Harbor, our plan to strengthen our entire 47-mile coastline with a system of absorbent parks and green space. Leaders from cities all over the world were impressed with how we’re protecting our neighborhoods from floods and heatwaves while improving quality of life at the same time.
A big theme of the Summit was the importance of youth leadership. In all of our cities, including Boston and LA, young people are speaking up and getting involved. It is inspiring to see them embrace this issue wholeheartedly. It’s our moral obligation to not let them down.
Mayor Garcetti said it best: “No one is doing more than cities, but no one is doing enough.” I agree. We’ve come a long way, making dramatic reductions to carbon emissions and speaking up on behalf of the people in our cities who are experiencing the effects of climate change on a regular basis. We’re tremendously proud of this work, but we will not become complacent. We will hold ourselves to the highest standard, because our future depends on it. Everything that’s important to people in our communities — from public health to clean air and water to making our economies more sustainable and equitable — depends on climate action. Teamwork among cities is crucial to our success.
In LA this week, Mayor Garcetti and I are continuing to work together. We’re discussing sustainable development, renewable energy, and how both of our cities can help green industries grow in order to create jobs and opportunities for our residents.
Even though I’ll be rooting against LA anytime our teams play one another, I continue to be very grateful for Mayor Garcetti’s friendship and his partnership on the issues that matter most to our residents. Climate action is one of the most important efforts either of our cities will ever undertake, and our partnership is helping us make historic progress that will benefit people throughout the United States and the world, for years and generations to come.
For updates on this week’s City to City trip to Los Angeles, follow #CitytoCityBOS.
