Boston, MA — Today, at Boston’s first International Mayors Climate Summit, Mayor Marty Walsh announced plans to issue a Request for Information (RFI) around large-scale renewable energy projects in cities across the country to curb costs of the growing sector. In response to a question about suing fossil fuel companies, similarly to lawsuits in New York City and San Francisco, Mayor Walsh said while they didn’t talk about it at the conference because of time, they are “looking at it”
This comes as community members gear up to rally and take to the water ahead of tomorrow’s annual U.S. Conference of Mayors kick-off, demanding Mayor Walsh and the hundreds of Mayors in attendance “Walk the Talk” on real climate action. Organizers are demanding officials commit to go Fossil Free in the lead-up to September’s Global Climate Action Summit.
In response to the announcement, Alan Palm, a core organizer of tomorrow’s action with with 350Mass and Better Future Project, offered the following response:
“We appreciate Mayor Walsh’s stated commitment to the Paris climate agreement. While a good step, the action pledged today — issuing a request for information for data on energy use in other cities — falls short of what it means to be a real climate leader.
Mayor Walsh, and all elected officials, must go further by committing to a fossil free world with no new fossil fuels, 100% renewables for all, and full divestment from fossil fuels to propel the just and necessary transition to renewable energy.
That’s why tomorrow hundreds of Bostonians are rallying to urge Mayor Walsh and all Mayors to ‘Walk the Talk’ on bold climate action to protect our communities now.”
Organizers of tomorrow’s march are calling on Mayor Walsh to drastically reduce Boston’s emissions now by implementing Community Choice Energy, which allows cities to bulk purchase more renewables and was passed unanimously by the Boston City Council seven months ago.
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For more on tomorrow’s rally, visit: https://gofossilfree.org/usa/uscom2018/
Contact: Lindsay Meiman, lindsay@350.org,+1 (347) 460-9082
Alan Palm, 350Mass and Better Future Project, alan@betterfutureproject.org