C40 cities to drive creation of 50 million green jobs by 2030

The creation of 50 million green jobs is one of the main objectives of cities before the end of this decade, a commitment assumed within the framework of the Global Summit of Mayors of the C40, which takes place until this Friday in Buenos Aires.

50 million jobs

With the implementation of these 50 million jobs, cities will do their bit to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement against global warming, according to the organization of the summit, considered the most important event on cities and climate change.

“During this summit, we are announcing that, in the next 8 years, 50 million sustainable green jobs will be created, in addition to record funding for cities in the Global South”, the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.

C40 mayors represent hundreds of millions of residents and a quarter of the global economy. In a historic collaboration, dozens of mayors are presenting today the actions they are taking to generate good green jobs in cities around the world.

From transforming homes, schools and workplaces to be energy efficient to delivering state-of-the-art public transportation systems, mayors are using their powers to create concrete green jobs. London, for example, has pledged to double the size of the green economy to £100bn by 2030, an ambition that would drive further job growth over the next decade.

The pathways to creating these “green” jobs are multiple: from making homes, schools and workplaces more energy efficient, to providing state-of-the-art public transportation systems and living wages that benefit women, youth and minority groups.

Green economy

An example of this is London, which has promised to "double" the size of its green economy to 100,000 million pounds by 2030, according to a statement from the organization.

Khan defined the countries participating in the summit as the "doers", who carry out "the approach to the climate emergency, creating green jobs where national governments end up being the great dilators".

In addition to expanding current jobs by 30%, C40 cities' "comprehensive climate action" could reduce air pollution by up to 30% and generate $280 billion in benefits related to improvements in the health of citizens.

In this sense, the creation of 50 million "green" jobs represents a "direct response" to the challenges facing the world, such as rising unemployment, high inflation or the worsening of climate change, highlighting the organization.

C40 research shows that 50 million green jobs are needed for C40 cities to deliver their fair share of halving emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Comprehensive climate action by C40 cities would result in over 30% more jobs compared to the current “business as usual” economic approach, which is responsible for the climate and economic damage we are witnessing.

It could also reduce air pollution by up to 30% and generate $280 billion in health-related economic benefits in C40 cities, driven by reduced use of fossil fuels.

More than 100 cities

The Global Summit of Mayors of the C40, which will last until this Friday, this year has councillors from more than 100 cities, including the mayors of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and Bogotá, Claudia López; or the mayors of Miami, Francis Suárez, and Sao Paulo, Ricardo Nunes. Among the most notable absences, as EFE has learned, is that of the mayor of New York, Eric Adams.

During the meeting, which is held every three years and has already hosted London, New York, Seoul, Sao Paulo (Brazil), Johannesburg, Mexico and Copenhagen, climate commitments focused on a green, fair and inclusive recovery with the creation of employment; cities of well-being and green financing.

In conclusion, the mayors of Buenos Aires, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, and of London, Sadiq Khan, will promote adherence to the "Buenos Aires Consensus", which includes commitments from the private sector in the climate agenda or climate financing initiatives from institutions of the region.

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