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Dear
Reader,
There is nothing in the
laws of physics and chemistry to prevent
humanity from stopping global heating getting
out of control. Yet there is also no historical
precedent for the scale and pace of the
political and economic transformation that is
needed to achieve that goal. This was the
message of the the Inter-governmental Panel on
Climate Change’s (IPCC) Special Report on Global
Warming of 1.5°C (SR1.5),
released earlier this year.
While at the
climate talks in Poland, the leaders of the
USA, Russia and Saudi Arabia have been
explicitly arguing against using science to
inform inter-governmental decisions, showing
unprecedented levels of cynicism and
irresponsibility, cities and their
networks are clear: we welcome the clarity of
the global climate science community and thank
the IPCC for their fundamental
work.
In 2016, C40 adopted 1.5°C
as the only viable, science-based target for
humanity’s long-term future – indeed, it is the
level of ambition needed to be a part of our
network. To help mayors deliver on this
incredible responsibility and opportunity, C40
Cities, the Global Covenant of Mayors, and 18
scientists from the IPCC SR1.5 released the Summary for Urban
Policymakers: What the IPCC Special Report on
Global Warming of 1.5°C means for
cities.
I look forward to
working with C40 mayors and all our partners in
2019 to redouble our efforts to make this
transformation a reality. It is
indeed in the world’s greatest cities that our
collective fate on this planet will be
determined. |