With the respective governments dragging their heels over the issue, mayors of some of the 40 largest cities have sprung into action to address the global concern over climate change.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who chairs the meeting of the mayors climate group C40 this week, said he and his counterparts from other major cities had to react because they have a first hand knowledge of the day-to-day problems.
Livingstone said
They can’t put it off for another study or wait for someone else to lead — you have got to act.
Particularly in the English-speaking world, whether it’s Australia, or America or Britain, governments have been far too slow to recognize and take firm action. Therefore mayors and governors have started collaborating.
The issue of climate change has virtually polarized the world. While most of the industrialized nations, barring the United States and Australia, are signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, countries like the US, India, China, Japan and South Korea envisages an Asia-Pacific Partnership which plans to use technology to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Livingstone said the second C40 summit would see the cities sharing experience and take steps to bring down the price of technology designed to combat global warming.
Mayors of cities like Bangkok, Berlin, Sydney, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Delhi, Johannesburg, Karachi, Mexico City and Seoul, among others, would attend the summit.
Photo: lda.gov.uk