A coalition of U.S. mayors has formed the Local Climate Leaders Circle with plans to promote their cities’ greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction efforts at the UN climate change conference in Paris later this year. The group currently represents 12 large, mid-sized and small cities across the country and is aligned with broader local government organizations such as the U.S. National League of Cities, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, the Compact of Mayors and C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

“Supporting a global climate agreement is critically important for cities around the world,” asserts Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City, the president of the National League of Cities.

As a member of Local Climate Leaders Circle, Mayor Becker champions citizen engagement, benchmarking, and partnerships with senior levels of government to finance and implement GHG mitigation projects. Other members include: Atlanta; Boulder; Chula Vista, Ca; Columbus; Des Moines; Grand Rapids; King County, Wash; Oakland; Pittsburgh; Santa Monica; and West Palm Beach. This endeavour also complements the Resilient Communities for America campaign, which has gained endorsement from more than 200 local elected officials who have pledged to build cities and towns that can bounce back from extreme weather and economic challenges.

“Cities across the U.S. are eager to take action on climate change, and improving the performance of the building stock is a key component to reaching their greenhouse gas reduction goals,” notes Rick Fedrizzi, chief executive officer of the U.S. Green Building Council, which is one of the sponsoring partners of the Local Climate Leaders Circle.