World Mayors Call For Fossil Fuel Divestment At COP21
A group of mayors from around the world have published a letter calling on other mayors and cities to follow suit in divesting from fossil fuel investments.
The group of 12 mayors from five different countries issued its letter last week, calling on other cities around the world to divest from fossil fuels. The letter was signed in conjunction with the COP21 Climate Summit for Local Leaders being held in Paris alongside the United Nations climate negotiations. The mayors called for “our colleagues to follow our steps and divest their city’s assets away from fossil fuels.”
“Mayors have a vital role to play in the transition to a new energy economy,” the mayors wrote. “It is time we invest in supporting our communities instead of destroying our climate. Please join us and divest from fossil fuels.”
The letter was signed by:
Mark Mark Buijs – Mayor of Boxtel, the Netherlands
Councilman Seth Yurdin, Providence, RI, USA
Kitty Piercy, Mayor of Eugene, Oregon, USA
George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol City, UK
Kevin McKeown, Mayor of Santa Monica, CA USA
Thomas Donegan, Chair, Board Of Selectmen, Provincetown, MA, USA
Brad Pettit, Mayor, City of Fremantle, Australia
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, Mayor of the City of Melbourne, Australia
Charlie Hales, Mayor of Portland, Oregon, USA
Samantha Ratnam, Councilor, Moreland City Australia
Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo, Norway
Councillor Robert Dryden, Mayor of Cambridge, UK
“Cities know firsthand the problems brought about by fossil fuels, from urban air pollution to rising seas,” said 350.org Executive Director, May Boeve. “They’re also seeing the opportunity for reinvestment–the money they take out of companies like ExxonMobil can be then invested in companies that are creating green jobs in their community. These cities are helping move the divest-invest discussion into the realm of public policy, setting an example for state and national governments as they do.”
The letter’s publication came only a day after international climate campaign 350.org announced its revised divestment statistics to the world. Since September — when divestment pledges sat at $2.6 trillion, representing 430 institutions — 350.org revealed that divestment pledges had risen to $3.4 trillion, across over 500 institutions.
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