NEW YORK—Mayor Michael Bloomberg will step down as chairman of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group on December 15, a position he held since 2010. Bloomberg will pass the torch to Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes.
Paes, who was selected unanimously by the C40 steering committee, is the first chair from the Southern Hemisphere.
Bloomberg will stay on as president of the board, overseeing day-to-day operations of the organization’s professional staff and serve as a key counselor to both the new chair and the organization.
During Bloomberg’s tenure, C40 has grown to include 63 cities and in 2011 partnered with the Clinton Climate Imitative. In 2012 C40 introduced tools which enable cities to measure and report their progress in addressing climate change.
Bloomberg noted the growing importance of C40 in the last few years as the conversation regarding climate change has grown louder, and the role of cities in curbing more damage has become clearer.
“Other levels of government are doing very little to reduce emissions. Cities are taking real meaningful action on climate change,” Bloomberg said on Tuesday. “Together those actions will have a huge impact on the future of our planet.”
The mayor led New York City to reduce its carbon emissions by 16 percent over the past six years with a goal of a 30 percent reduction by 2030. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has praised Bloomberg for his work in curbing emissions in the city.
“Hopefully he [de Blasio] will have a strong environmental agenda,” Bloomberg said. “He knows what we have done and I think he will continue that.”
Bloomberg said he would continue to use his personal wealth to help bring awareness to climate change through Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Bloomberg has poured his personal wealth into supporting candidates across the nation with views similar to his own on issues like gun control and immigration reform. The mayor did not rule out supporting candidates who support green initiatives, but said he would look at their overall record and interest.
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