The C40 World Mayors’ Summit is a three-day conference where city leaders from around the world share ideas on green urban development, and on ways to get national governments to act on climate issues.
The C40 connects more than 96 of the world’s largest cities to deliver urgent and essential climate action needed to secure a sustainable future for urban citizens worldwide.
The group is committed to delivering on climate targets set under the 2016 Paris Agreement, and sets the bar for cities to develop and implement local level plans that comply with those targets.
The C40 group was started in 2005 by the then Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and got its name in 2006, since it had 40 members that year. It has 96 members at present, representing over 70 crore people, and one-quarter of the global economy.
Cities, according to the C40 group, have the potential to deliver 40 per cent of the emissions reductions to meet the Paris targets.
Analysts believe that cities are better equipped to deal at climate negotiations than nations, since the former do not have to deal with issues such as borders and sovereignty.
The host city of this year’s conference Copenhagen, plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. Apart from Mayors and Deputy Mayors, the Summit is being attended by climate experts, influencers, business leaders, innovators, changemakers, and citizens.
C40 Summits are known for publishing important research, showcasing innovations by cities, and for forging global partnerships. At the 2019 Summit, the Mayor of Los Angeles will take over as chair of the group. The cities from India that are part of the C40 are Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Jaipur, and Kolkata.
