Mayor Sylvester Turner helped lead a coalition of mayors across the United States in calling for climate action after the EPA’s decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan.
“Our climate has changed,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Harvey was historic, and the needed infrastructure improvements are recognized by all levels of government. Houston will rise from this challenge a stronger, more resilient city, but we as a nation need bold action – like the Clean Power Plan – to better prepare our communities and our economy for a changing future.”
Mayor Turner is a co-chair of Climate Mayors, a group of over 300 mayors of cities from coast to coast working together to strengthen local efforts for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to support efforts for binding federal and global-level policymaking.
The Climate Mayors’ statement is below:
Yesterday's announcement by the EPA undermines our nation’s leadership on climate action and threatens Americans’ health and safety. The Supreme Court has already directed the agency to act on carbon pollution, and we call on President Trump to honor that mandate.
As Mayors representing cities of every size, we know firsthand that the costs of inaction are too great — our cities are on the front lines of super storms, floods, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, and public health challenges caused by climate change. That’s why we are committed to bold action to clean our air, strengthen our economy, and ensure a healthier future for our children and grandchildren.
In addition to Climate Mayors, Mayor Turner is a member of the C40 Alliance of Cities, the Carbon Disclosure Project, and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. Houston has reduced municipal greenhouse gas emission by 35% since 2007. Today, nearly 90% of Houston’s energy comes from renewable sources – including the recent expansion of the City’s solar power purchase agreement – and Houston was named the nation’s top municipal purchaser of green energy by the EPA for 2017.
