Cities signed climate pact
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BRUSSELS - Mayors from more than 350 cities across Europe signed a European Union climate change agreement Tuesday pledging to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 percent by 2020.
The pact covers urban areas across 23 EU countries, including cities such as London, Paris and Madrid. Cities in Turkey, Switzerland, Norway and Ukraine have also signed the agreement and faraway cities, such as New York City, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Christchurch, New Zealand, have also backed the initiative. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called on mayors to follow the famous slogan "think globally, act locally" by encouraging their city residents to further reduce emissions.
"Voluntary actions by citizens are crucial, changing our energy behavior, making intelligent investments and adopting smart mobility practices. These are actions that need to be motivated," Barroso said during the signing ceremony. Under the pact, cities committed to go beyond a two-year agreement by EU national governments to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, increase energy efficiency by 20 percent and increase the use of renewable energy sources to 20 percent of all energy used by 2020.