US mayors back plan for cities to go 100% renewable

A bipartisan coalition of US mayors has unanimously supported an ambitious plan that would see cities across the country transition to 100 per cent renewable energy within two decades. 

As the U.S. Conference of Mayors came to a close on Monday 26 June in Miami Beach, city leaders adopted a series of resolutions including supporting cities' adoption of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2035 and encouraging the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin, who co-sponsored the 100 per cent resolution, said: “We are showing the world that cities and mayors can and will lead the transition away from fossil fuels to 100 per cent clean, renewable energy." 

The resolutions passed on Monday include appealing to Congress and the White House to support the Paris Agreement and the Obama administration's stalled Clean Power Plan – which would cut carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector – and calling for the accelerated electrification of the nation's transportation sector as well as encouraging greater investment from all levels of government in wind energy.

Earlier this month, Climate Action reported that more than 200 mayors have joined more than a thousand businesses, investors and academic institutions in signing a pact to continue the fight against climate change in the U.S.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, and incoming president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said local government can play a significant role in shaping American policy on a range of issues.

To date, more than 35 cities in the U.S. have now committed to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy.

Last week, the cities of Sarasota in Florida, and Columbia in South Carolina became the 35th and 36th cities in the country to make the pledge.

According to the Sierra Club, if all the conference's cities were to adopt 100 per cent renewable energy, they could cut carbon dioxide emission by 619 million metric tonnes, equivalent to the emissions of around 180 coal-fired power plants.

Never miss an update by signing up to our free newsletter here.