Mayors Collaborate to Spread Climate Innovation From City to City
The rise of global networks that connect cities to share, discover, and apply the best ideas back home is an essential innovation layer in our civilization’s race to cut carbon.
Success is urgently important because cities are responsible for 70% of global emissions. The stakes are understandably high; 55% of humans currently live in cities, a number that is projected to grow to 70% by 2050.
In response, many cities are taking taking bold action to meet the moment.
David Miller is an expert in this arena. From 2003 to 2010, David was mayor of Toronto, spearheading his city’s rise to become a global climate leader and a champion of ambitious action.
Now, as Managing Director of the Center for City Climate Policy and Economy C40 Cities, a global network of mayors representing 96 of the world’s 100 largest cities, David guides cities toward a sustainable future that counters climate change and makes urban life better in the process.
David also hosts the Cities 1.5 podcast and is the author of Solved: How the Great Cities of the World are Fixing the Climate Crisis.
Listen to David Miller on Supercool
Bold Climate Actions From Cities
Across the globe, cities are setting new standards for climate action.
– In Ethiopia, Addis Ababa plants one million trees per year.
– In China, Shenzhen operates a fleet of thousands of electric-powered public transportation buses.
– In the U.S., New York City drives deep decarbonization in large buildings through ambitious greenhouse gas reduction laws.
In France, Paris is hyper-localizing everything — work, school, groceries, healthcare, parks — to curtail car dependence.
Somewhere on the planet, nearly every solution the world needs to address the climate challenge is now in place. These solutions don’t just eliminate carbon—they enhance everyday life.
The critical challenge is compressing the timescale from years and decades to weeks and months for the best of them to be discovered and deployed elsewhere.
“I truly believe that if people understand what’s possible today and how it can enrich our lives and not just solve the climate crisis, they’re going to demand the kind of action at scale that we need.” – David Miller
Want Supercool updates in your inbox?
Subscribe to our (free) weekly newsletter for quick 5-minute reports taking you to the cutting-edge of the low-carbon economy.
More Articles
