It has not been a good year for people concerned about climate change. The peak of carbon emissions expectations has not been achieved, and we continue to do so heat the planet at a rapid rate (see “Humanity has warmed the planet by 1.5 °C since 1700”). Meanwhile, the election of Donald Trump for a second term as US president it is likely to see the country backtracking on climate action, pledging to “drill, baby, drill” for new oil and gas supplies.
Similar sentiments toward fossil fuels come from Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, who has called his oil-rich nation’s natural resources a “gift from God.” Aliyev made the comments at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku. Ironically, this “gift” will become increasingly inaccessible as the Caspian Sea dries up in a warming world, unloading trillions of dollars of fossil fuel infrastructure (see “COP29 host Azerbaijan faces climate catastrophe as Caspian sea dries up”).
Given the failure of politicians on the international stage to confront the reality of climate change, other leaders must step up, and surprisingly, city mayors will be the best placed to do so.
It will be essential for cities to adapt to face the specific effects of the hot city
While mayors may not have an impact on the global climate, they oversee the well-being of more than 50% of the world’s population living in urban areas – expected to rise to 70% by 2050. point temperatures will rise by 2.5 °C according to current forecasts. It will be essential that cities adapt to the specific impacts of the hot city, from promoting green spaces to investing in buildings that can be cooled without air conditioning (see “Extreme heat is now making cities uninhabitable. How can we survive?”.).
The good news is that many mayors are already aware of their responsibilities. London Mayor Sadiq Khan aims to make the city net-zero by 2030. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, France, has planted trees and banned cars in some areas. And Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, has promised a green transformation ahead of the city’s 2028 Olympic Games. Organizations like C40 and Climate Mayors are helping to unite local politicians around the world into action. This won’t solve climate change, but it will make living in a warming world more bearable for many.
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