Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, as president of the Global Executive Committee of Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and Trustee with the U.S. Conference of Mayors will attend the upcoming 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, COP27. More than 90 heads of state and representatives of 190 countries are expected to attend COP27 that begins next week in Sham El Sheikh, Egypt.
A United Nations report released last week finds that the world is falling far short of its commitment to hold global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Mayor Cownie, along with the rest of the ICLEI and U.S. Conference of Mayors delegations, will advocate for increased multilateral cooperation that ensures local governments are armed with the resources and support necessary to stem the worst of climate change.
“Our communities are on the front line of climate change. As leaders, we are mobilizing efforts to decarbonize our energy, electrify buildings and transportation, prevent flooding, and other hazards, protect our water, and increase food security. This conference is an opportunity to share the progress we are making at home, present our lessons learned, and demand that national and world leaders rise with us to address the climate emergency,” Cownie said.
Des Moines is already experiencing the effects of climate change, and these impacts challenge our quality of life, economy, and future. To better coordinate our response to climate change, reduce harmful emissions, and chart a more resilient future, the City of Des Moines is developing a community-wide climate action and adaptation plan.
This plan will guide decision making, policy, and program development for pollution and greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and climate adaptation actions that address climate change. Visit the website to learn more about this important plan. To ensure their voice is heard the public is urged to attend the ADAPT DSM Open House on November 16 and take the survey online.
“The City of Des Moines is a proven leader when it comes to addressing climate change, and I look forward to the opportunity to share with the conference delegates the important work that we are doing here in our community,” Cownie said.
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