Phoenix joins other US, Chinese cities in pact to fight climate change

PHOENIX — The city of Phoenix joined other U.S. and Chinese cities in signing an agreement on Tuesday to fight climate change.

“Mayors of the leading cities in America and the leading cities in China have come together to make mutual commitments to each other, to reduce our impact on the globe,” Mayor Greg Stanton said.

The Phoenix mayor spoke at the summit where the agreement was signed Tuesday to highlight his city’s progress on climate-related issues.

“We’ve gone from a point of being one of the less sustainable cities, to one of the leaders in the United States of America,” he said.

Phoenix has the largest municipal fleet of alternative-fuel vehicles in the nation, has made huge gains in solar production and has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas by 80 percent by 2050.

Stanton said it’s up to local leaders to fight climate change, as arguments on the topic tend to get bogged down in the federal government.

“If we’re going to take real leadership on climate change, real leadership is not going to happen in Washington where there’s gridlock,” he said. “Real leadership is going to happen at the local level.“

The best practices and objectives discussed at the summit will be sent to President Barack Obama, who is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C., next week. The two nations came to an agreement last year to reduce emissions and carbon dioxide levels.

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