In response to President Donald Trump’s announcement last Thursday that the United States would be backing out of the Paris Climate Agreement, a number of mayors have pledged to uphold the terms of the clean energy program. Most notable among these mayors is Bill Peduto of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The day after President Trump’s statement, Mayor Peduto gave a statement of his own announcing that Pittsburgh aims to be completely powered by renewable energy by the year 2035. He plans to join a coalition named Mayors for 100% Clean Energy, a group stemming from the Ready for 100 program by the Sierra Club.
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has formed a coalition of his own to protest the decision by President Trump. Comprised of thirty cities, three states, and the presidents of over eighty universities and one hundred companies, the group aims to follow the guidelines the Paris Climate Agreement established.
Mayor Peduto was particularly bothered by a line in President Trump speech: “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” He later pointed out on Twitter that the voters of Pittsburgh gave 80 percent of their support to Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton, and that the city would uphold the Paris Climate Agreement.
Fact: Hillary Clinton received 80% of the vote in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh stands with the world & will follow Paris Agreement @HillaryClinton https://t.co/cibJyT7MAK
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 1, 2017
Mayor Peduto gave a press release on Friday in which he stated, “Donald Trump said he was elected by voters of Pittsburgh, but his misguided decision to withdraw from the Paris climate [agreement] does not reflect the values of our city.”
The Pittsburgh mayor, along with his colleagues in the Mayors for 100% Clean Energy, aims to pursue the future of power despite the President’s intentions.
