In October 2005, representatives of 18 leading world cities met in London to discuss joining forces to tackle global warming and climate change.
The representatives saw the need for action and cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pledged to work together towards achieving that goal.
At the end of the conference, a communiqué was signed which recognised the need for cities to take action and to cooperate on reducing climate emissions. The cities also promised a number of action points, including most notably the creation of procurement policies and alliances to accelerate the uptake of climate-friendly technologies and influence the market place.
Cities have a central role to play in tackling climate change. By fostering a sense of shared purpose, the C40 network offers cities an effective forum in which to work together, share information and demonstrate leadership.
The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40) is a group of the world’s largest cities committed to tackling climate change. The current chair of the C40 is Mayor David Miller of Toronto; the chair-elect of the C40 is Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York.
The C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group is comprised of the following cities: Addis Ababa, Athens, Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Caracas, Chicago, Delhi, Dhaka, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Houston, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Lagos, Lima, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, New York City, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Toronto, Tokyo, and Warsaw. The C40 also has 19 affiliate cities: Amsterdam, Austin, Barcelona, Basel, Changwon, Copenhagen, Curitiba, Heidelberg, Ho Chi Minh City, Milan, New Orleans, Portland, Rotterdam, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Santiago de Chile, Seattle, Stockholm, and Yokohama.
The Clinton Climate Initiative is the delivery partner of C40. The C40 also has initiatives with Arup, ECOS and the World Bank Institute.
