With the United States withdraw from The Paris Agreement, Philadelphia’s Democratic Mayor Jim Kenney noted that the city would continue its efforts that they have already adopted to reduce carbon their emissions by 26 percent, in keeping with the provisions of the Paris climate accord. The most recent Pennsylvania State Impact report indicated that Kenney, along with mayors in 60 other cities, will continue with their climate action plans.
Like other major cities, Philadelphia has its own climate policy to deal with shifts in weather patterns. Extreme storms may affect the city’s operations if the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers rise, as warmer and wetter conditions would cause flooding that may affect over 30 city-owned facilities. The city’s aggressive greenhouse gas reduction goals are meant to mitigate the challenges to Philadelphia’s residents, businesses and the city’s infrastructure.
In Philadelphia, the Office of Sustainability puts into action the Greenworks Philadelphia plan, which, among a number of other things, promotes low-carbon transportation, while the city’s Energy Office works to make city government officer more environmentally friendly. Philadelphia is a SolSmart Gold designee as well, a recognition which the city earned for cutting red tape and making it less expensive for residents and businesses to complete solar projects.
Cities across the nation see a continuation of their policies both as a responsibility and as an economic opportunity. According to NBC29.com, after the White House announced President Trump’s decision to pull out of the The Paris Agreement, numerous mayors throughout the nation held press conferences, echoing Kenney’s sentiments. New York and Los Angeles, the nation’s two largest cities, both announced that no federal action would change their efforts to mitigate climate change at the municipal level.
Pennsylvania’s Gov. Tom Wolf is supporting Philadelphia’s effort to reduce greenhouse gases by maintaining the state’s climate change policies, including the effort to reduce methane leaks from natural gas pipelines and wells.
