United Nations: UN chief Ban Ki-moon has appointed former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg as the first special envoy for cities and climate change.
Bloomberg will assist the Secretary-General in his "consultations with mayors and related key stakeholders, in order to raise political will and mobilize action among cities as part of his long-term strategy to advance efforts on climate change," a statement issued by Ban`s office said.
He would also help in bringing concrete solutions to the 2014 Climate Summit that the Secretary-General will host in New York on September 23 this year, it said yesterday.
Bloomberg, who left office as Mayor on December 31 after 12 years in the job, currently serves as the President of the Board of the C40 Climate Leadership Group, a network of large cities from around the world committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate-related actions locally that will help address climate change globally.
US Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated Bloomberg on his appointment, saying he has long been a champion of significant action to cut greenhouse gas emissions in cities and bring about a global clean energy economy.
Ban has invited leaders from governments, businesses, finance and civil society to bring "bold announcements and actions" to the September summit to raise the level of ambition through new and more robust action on climate change.
In 2007, Bloomberg had addressed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Indonesia.
