Press Release: President Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg Join Forces to Combat Climate Change

Alliance between the Clinton Climate Initiative Cities Program and C40 will expand membership and double the organization’s funding

Fourth Annual C40 Mayors Summit to take place in Sao Paulo May 31 – June 2 with President Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg as keynotes

New York, NY — Today, President Bill Clinton and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the expanded alliance between the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) and the Cities Program of the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation. Mayor Bloomberg serves as the Chair of the C40.

The joining of these two organizations brings significant resources and infrastructure that will bolster both the CCI and C40 organizations and position the combined effort as one of the preeminent climate policy organizations in the world. President Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg stated that the decision to combine these two powerful entities and expand the C40 was driven by the belief that cities are one of the greatest drivers of climate change action.

As a result the C40 will:

1. Expand the number of participating cities
2. Double the budget of the C40/CCI Cities
3. Restructure the organization so cities can share best practices and tackle issues collectively

While cities only occupy 2% of the Earth’s land mass, they contain over 50% of its population, use two-thirds of its energy and generate over 70% of its carbon emissions. Many leading climate experts and advocates agree that cities are strongly positioned to generate real change and with global protocols and treaties unable to impact significant reforms, C40 has the opportunity to lead, organize and share successes on a local level that can have a meaningful global impact.

“This new structure to the C40, combined with the additional resources, is exactly what I need to help drive sustainable climate policy initiatives in Sao Paulo,” said Sao Paulo Mayor Gilberto Kassab.

“I am pleased and honored to be here with my friend President Clinton. He has been a life-long champion of climate initiatives and I can think of no greater partner in this effort,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “There is no single solution for solving global climate change and President Clinton and I agree that one of the most efficient methods of reducing carbon emissions is to focus on large cities around the world. The Clinton Climate Initiative Cities Program and C40 have been collaborating with large cities and now, as one organization supported by additional resources we can bring proven ideas to market and have a significant impact worldwide. This stronger alliance with the Clinton Climate Initiative Cities Program now positions the C40 to be a critical leader on climate-related initiatives.”

“Cities around the world play an essential role in addressing climate change. I’ve been honored by the progress that we have achieved since 2006, when my Foundation was invited to assist 40 of the largest cities in the world with energy efficient buildings, improved transportation, outdoor lighting, and waste management,” said President Clinton, “Together we are proving it is possible to create jobs and grow economies through reduced emissions. By combining forces with the C40, I believe the CCI Cities Program can continue to expand this work and make an even greater impact.”

The Mayor also announced that the fourth biennial C40 Summit will take place in Sao Paulo from May 31 to June 2, bringing together Mayors from leading cities around the world. Further details will be disclosed in the coming weeks. Both President Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg will attend the summit and give keynote addresses. World Bank President Robert Zoellick will be participating in the summit.

Fourth Biennial C40 Mayoral Summit in Sao Paulo:

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is an organization of large and engaged cities from around the world committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate-related policies locally that will help address climate change concerns globally. Cities play a central role in tackling climate issues so by fostering a shared sense of purpose, this network of determined cities is an effective forum to work together, share best practices, provide leadership on a local and global scale and have a meaningful impact.

About the C40:

The current Chair, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, along with the ten-member Steering Committee of other C40 mayors, guides the work of C40 by planning and measuring the impact of local initiatives that reduce emissions from energy, waste, water supply and transport, and increase cities’ resilience to climate change.

The Chair recently outlined five goals for the C40, which include:

1. Creating a robust and professional organization
2. Building and maintaining participation and accountability of all the member cities
3. Focusing program efforts on networks of cities
4. Providing direct support to C40 cities
5. Achieving visibility, driving thought leadership, and communicating evidence

These actions are intended to further optimize the organization such that it can help accelerate policy adoption to counter climate change. C40 participating cities include Addis Ababa, Athens, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Chicago, Delhi NCT, Dhaka, Hanoi, Houston, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Lagos, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Warsaw. C40 affiliate cities include Amsterdam, Austin, Barcelona, Basel, Changwon, Copenhagen, Curitiba, Heidelberg, Ho Chi Minh City, Milan, New Orleans, Portland, Rotterdam, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Stockholm, and Yokohoma.

About the C40/CCI Partnership:

In 2006, CCI, a program of the William J. Clinton Foundation, was invited to become the delivery partner of the C40. CCI’s Cities’ Programs include building retrofits, outdoor lighting, waste management, low carbon transportation, new urban developments, and greenhouse gas measurement and reporting. At the invitation of city governments, CCI places city directors in participating C40 cities to help cities deliver programs in close collaboration with its program teams and expert partners. These resources allow CCI to provide them with pro bono support on project development, local relationships, and, importantly, the facilitation of knowledge-sharing among cities.

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