Sustainability Asia

Mayors Michael Bloomberg of New York City and David Miller of Toronto tell reporters what most impressed them about the Chinese Mayors’ discussion about increasing sustainability in their cities.

New York City’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the new chair of the C40 Climate Leadership Group, applauded Chinese mayors gathered in Hong Kong last week for taking proactive steps towards building low carbon environments in their cities.

City officials and senior representatives from over 30 cities around the world and 120 officials from cities and provinces of mainland China gathered at a C40 workshop in Hong Kong last week to explore the challenges and opportunities of creating low carbon cities that offer a high quality of life.

Conference highlights included a panel discussion in which Mayor Bloomberg and outgoing C40 chair, Mayor David Miller of Toronto, participated along with mayors or deputy mayors of Changsha, Shenzhen and Kunming.

Mayor Bloomberg said he was encouraged that Chinese cities are no longer blinded by the pursuit of economic growth and understand that they cannot “treat the environment like a second class citizen.”

All three Chinese city representatives detailed plans to develop green building and renewable energy infrastructure within their jurisdictions.

Changsha Mayor Zhang Jianfei said that his city is taking action by cutting back on high-polluting factories, by expanding electric bus transportation and also by preventing hotels from giving out disposable toiletries.

Vice Mayor Tang Jie said that his city Shenzhen, home to electric car manufacturer BYD Autos, is focused on developing its electric automobile industry and also on making provisions to ensure that new buildings use energy-efficient electrical equipment.

Vice Mayor Wang Daoxing of Kunming said that since sunlight is his city’s biggest resource city officials are focused on developing solar power infrastructure.

In a press conference after the session, when reporters asked what impressed him most about the Chinese city representatives’ stance, Mayor Bloomberg said, “I think the most impressive thing this morning was that they were there. Ten years ago, they would not have been there.”

Mayor Bloomberg also shared his views on how cities should tackle environmental issues. He cited the example of his own city, New York which has achieved clear results by expanding the legal framework governing the design and operation of buildings to include the impact of climate change.

Based on the general principles of the C40 agenda, he offered four core approaches to tackle climate change: reducing greenhouse gas emissions with energy efficient buildings, increasing cooperation among cities, making C40 a global, influential authority to push for changes and setting high but achievable goals in the battle against climate change.

On the home-front, Hong Kong’s outlook on the path to low carbon living was represented by Carrie Lam, Secretary of Development, and Barry Cheung, Chairman of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA).

Ms. Lam said the government would not rule out giving preferential treatment to encourage private real estate developers to incorporate green features into their properties. Mr. Cheung said that since last year the URA has used a six-point environmental framework to guide its redevelopment projects, which they anticipate will reduce emissions by 23 per cent.

C40, Changsha, China, David Miller, environment, Kunming, mayors, Michael Bloomberg, New York City, pollution, Shenzen, Toronto