From September 12 – 14, San Francisco will host the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS). GCAS brings people together from around the world to celebrate climate actions taken by cities, businesses, and citizens. Christine Knapp, the director of the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability will be in attendance and is speaking about our City’s clean energy and climate plans. Interested in tuning in? You can live stream the Global Climate Action Summit through YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

In addition to sharing resources and information at the summit, GCAS challenges cities to sign on to further its climate commitments. We are pleased to announce that the City of Philadelphia has signed on to the following commitments:

  • Deadline 2020: Develop an inclusive climate mitigation and adaptation plan compatible with the Paris Agreement by 2020
  • Advance towards Zero Waste: Reduce municipal solid waste generation per capita by at least 15%, reduce solid waste disposed by landfill or incineration by at least 50%, and increase the diversion rate away from landfill and incineration by at least 70% by 2030.  Check out the City’s Zero Waste and Litter Plan
  • Equitable low-carbon transformation: Increase action on community-led development, inclusive climate action, and infrastructure projects to achieve environmental, health, social and economic benefits especially in low-income and vulnerable neighborhoods
  • Just transition: Include workers and jobs as part of city climate strategy
  • Edmonton Declaration: Recognize urgent need to coordinate and integrate efforts, and to establish formal science-based policy and decision-making processes
  • Renewable Energy: Mayor Kenney signed the Sierra Club’s “Ready for 100” pledge in June of 2017
  • Cities4Forests: Integrate forests into city development plans and programs

Philadelphia was recognized as one of the 27 international cities whose greenhouse gas emission have peaked, even while population has grown. According to Scientists’ calculations, global greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2020 at the latest and then decrease rapidly, which is why it’s important that Philadelphia is already on the right path.

For information on how you can take action here in Philadelphia, check out the Clean Energy Vision Action Plan. The document outlines opportunities to continue to advance towards reducing carbon emissions in the City’s built environment.

Need a refresher on Philadelphia’s clean energy and climate goals before tuning in? Check out the Powering Our Future report summary.