Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego had a very impactful and successful trip to the Glasgow Climate Summit (or COP 26) last week.
The Mayor of the United States' fifth largest (and fastest-growing) city attended several sessions on climate-related topics including water conservation, global warming mitigation efforts in cities, green jobs and investments, and electric automobile accessibility.
Mayor Gallego also addressed a session discussing Phoenix’s cool pavement program.
During the conference, Ms. Gallego was named Public Sector Co-chair of the 50 Liter Home Coalition (50L Home), “a collaborative of private, public, and civic leaders who aim to reinvent the future of urban water use through innovations that reduce carbon emissions and promote water security for all.”
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Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and IKEA Group Chief Sustainability Officer Lena Pripp-Kovac discuss multi-system challenges around water security during COP26.[/caption]The Mayor is also currently the co-chair of the Climate Mayors Group and the North American Vice Chair of the C40 network, a gathering of mayors from around the world dedicated to combatting climate change. She is also the Chair of the Jobs, Education, and Workforce Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Commenting on the appointment, Mayor Gallego said:
“Just as we have led in innovations like cool pavement, we will continue to find new solutions to address water scarcity and drought. I look forward to my role as Co-chair and piloting programs cities around the world have designed, so we can demonstrate the results, and lessons learned, and share them widely. The breakthroughs will become the standard practices of the future.”
“As a desert city, Phoenix is a living lab for water and energy innovation, with an essential need to make the most of every drop. The work we do now will inform the lives of the next generation, including my son. I want them to experience a verdant, vital world that has recovered from its most serious threat.”
Braulio Eduardo Morera, the director of 50L Home, praised Mayor Gallego’s efforts on sustainability in welcoming her as the public sector co-chair, stating:
“Her vision for Phoenix as a desert community that prioritizes sustainable growth will be a north star for our work; together we will innovate new water and energy solutions, learn from global best practices, and share what Phoenicians have learned.”
At the end of the conference, Mayor Gallego relayed:
“We are growing the jobs important to a sustainable future for the health of our city and for the families proud to call Phoenix home. These past few days demonstrate our community is an innovative leader in climate and sustainability, and our goal is to be the most carbon-neutral and water-wise desert city on the planet.”
Upon her return to Phoenix, the Mayor graciously took some time to discuss her trip to Glasgow, what she learned at the summit, and how what she learned and her appointment to the public co-chair position at the 50 Liter Home Coalition will help Phoenix.
The questions and her responses are below.
1) What were at least two ideas that you learned about at the Glasgow Climate Summit that you can possibly apply to the sustainability programs in Phoenix?
“Cities are doing really exciting things with how they design and manage buildings. There are actually several European companies that are looking for a North American outpost that would start investing and spreading that technology. Phoenix seemed like a perfect landing point for companies that are interested in helping businesses manage their energy use so that one was very exciting. And I got a chance to talk to the Mayor of Paris, France, and how they have been redeveloping along their riverfront (the Seine) and making it more accessible for biking, running, and other non-motorized transportation. It just gave me a lot of ideas as we do Rio Reimagined (the plan for Salt River Development) in Phoenix.”
2) Please explain one way your appointment as the Public Sector Co-Chair of the 50 Liter Home Coalition will help apply to the implementation of improved and safer water usage policies in Phoenix.
“A lot of the leading companies in the world from Ikea to Proctor and Gamble have decided to focus their corporate social responsibility programs on reducing their footprint. The 50 L coalition comes out of those efforts. It was inspired by the very difficult events that happened in Capetown, South Africa where they had dramatic restrictions on their water supply such that each resident lived with 50 liters of water today. 50 L Coalition is looking at how we might reduce in-home water use without those restrictions but through the better uses of technology. We will be doing research in trying to do product development in Phoenix. I can’t think of a better city to help develop the sustainable water products of the future. Phoenix has been able to reduce our per capita water use as we have grown, in part because of investments in great technology. I’m excited that we’ll have the chance for that next generation of innovation to happen in Phoenix.”
3) Is there anything not asked in the first two questions you would like Phoenix Residents to know about your attendance at the Glasgow Climate Summit? Please explain.
“I got to work with the Mayors of London, Paris, and Bogota (Colombia,) bringing together a coalition of 1,049 cities that are committed to reducing our emissions in half by 2030. It was wonderful to see how cities are really leading the way on climate change and working together. Phoenix has been recognized as a city that has a lot to offer as a desert city that’s been quite innovative in these areas. It was wonderful to see that recognition on a global stage."
"One of the first changes that Phoenix residents might see as a result of my work at COP (the Glasgow Climate Summit) was that we were able to move forward with a very significant partnership with American Forests on tree planting. We’ve been hearing a lot from our residents that they appreciate both the shade from our trees as well as the climate change benefits. And that is something very tangible that our residents will see.”
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, along with other local Arizona leaders like Tucson's Regina Romero, have been leading forces in combatting climate change and adopting strong sustainable clean energy policies for their cities.
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Phoenix mayor Kate Gallego shows off a roof fitted with solar panels Photo from AARP[/caption]Among Phoenix's advances in combatting climate change and sustainability are:
- a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
- creating access to electric charging stations.
- reforming the fire code to allow for the installation of additional solar panels.
It would seem that Mayor Gallego's trip to the Glasgow Climate Summit has helped pave the way for greater innovative opportunities for Phoenix to help lead the way in combatting climate change and fostering endurable and green local sustainability policies.
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