GLASGOW (Scotland) -- As they travelled towards Glasgow on a train, the mayors from Seattle and Freetown, Sierra Leone, greeted one another like long-lost sisters. They were bonded through years of Zoom calls, collaboration and fighting against climate changes.
They are leaders of cities in different parts of the economic-climate divide -- one is in the northwestern corner of one of the richest countries in the world, the other is the capital of an impoverished nation in the tropics in West Africa.
However, Jenny Durkan, the Seattle Mayor, and her Freetown counterpart, Yvonne Aki–Sawyerr are on the forefront of global warming and working to prepare their cities for rising sea levels and torrential rains.
They traveled with a group big-city mayors to the U.N. Climate Conference in Scotland on Monday to demand that world leaders adhere to science and take action now to stop a catastrophic rise in global temperatures.
Aki-Sawyerr refers to herself and her mayors as captains of small vessels trying to warn the ocean liner about the dangers ahead.
She said, "I'm going up on the bow and I will be waving my arms furiously. You're hitting an Iceberg, and you need to stop." "And I hope that there will be enough of us doing it the same way to make a difference."
Durkan and Aki-Sawyerr are part of the C40 group, which is made up of large city mayors. They are asking for their participation in decisions on how to mitigate global warming. The group claims that city leaders will have to implement many decisions made by prime ministers and presidents. They should also be consulted and given funds.
This delegation included mayors from Los Angeles, Paris, London and Stockholm as well as representatives from the Nordic cities Oslo and Stockholm and North Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Mayors wanted to emphasize their environmental credentials and made the 600-kilometer journey by rail from London to Glasgow. The electric train they took generated seven times more greenhouse gas emissions per passenger that flying.
The 97 members of the C40 group together make up nearly 10% of the world's population. They also support local communities by supporting a program that saw over 1000 communities backing a campaign to achieve "net zero" emissions.
Mayors agree that cities are vital in fighting climate change.
Today, more than half of the world's population lives in urban areas. This trend will only continue. According to Bernice Lee, the director of futures at Chatham House, London, cities still offer a gateway to better lives despite the economic shock brought about by COVID-19. Density and diversity are key ingredients for creativity and innovation.
Lee stated, "Crucially around 80% of global emissions are from cities. So they have to be part the solutions and major city decisions really matter." They can provide great opportunities for piloting and testing the next generation solutions.
Two months ago, a panel of international climate scientists stated that time was running out to achieve the goal of limiting global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degree Fahrenheit) and preventing catastrophic climate change. Although organizers believe that Glasgow offers the best opportunity to reach an agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, several world leaders, including Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Xi Jinping from China, decided to not attend.
According to the International Energy Agency, China is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. India, Russia, the United States, and the European Union are close behind.
Freetown already feels the effects of global warming and a changing economy.
Increased migration from rural areas is leading people to create informal settlements on hillsides and near the coast. This destroys forests and increases flood risk during heavy rains. In 2017, more than 1000 people were killed in a mudslide.
Aki-Sawyerr explained to the U.N. that the city responded by planting trees and improving sanitation and flood mitigation projects. Environment Program. One program provided tricycles for youth groups that collect household waste. This is then composted and returned back to urban farmers.
"There are billions of people living in the global South whose climate change impacts are occurring today. It is now. These livelihoods are being destroyed," Aki Sawyerr stated. These are the smaller, less powerful emitters... but the consequences are severe."
However, the fight against climate changes is taking place in Seattle 6,700 miles (10 800 kilometers).
On three consecutive June days, temperatures in Seattle rose to 100 F (38 C), as hot air from the west impacted the country and Canada. The temperature reached 108°F (42°C) on June 28th, the highest recorded in 151 years.
Washington saw 138 heat-related deaths in this summer, compared to seven the year before.
Scientists aren't able to connect any one weather event with global warming. However, officials in Seattle are anticipating rising sea levels, higher tides, and more intense and lasting heat waves.
After Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, Seattle has maintained its commitment to it. The city encourages walking, biking and public transport as alternatives to driving alone. It also works to improve energy efficiency in both public and private buildings.
Durkan stated that mayors are the first line of defense in their communities for everything, from picking up garbage to who didn't. Their biggest challenge is how they implement policy at both the central and national levels. What does this mean? What does that mean? We start to wonder, "How do you implement it and what does that mean for real people?"
