Report questions whether many U.S. cities will meet Kyoto targets
The carbon-reduction blame game isn’t limited to the federal level: nearly 360 U.S. mayors vowed that their cities would meet Kyoto Protocol standards, but a sampling of 10 cities reveals that they are not on track to accomplish their goals, according to a new report. The mayors involved in the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement represent a population of over 54 million from cities in every state but metropolis-lite South Dakota; many “will miss their goals by a wide margin” unless additional state and federal climate policies are put in place, says the nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Why kick ’em while they’re down? “[W]e wanted to make sure that the cities that join this effort understand what they’re getting into,” says report author John Bailey. ILSR encourages creative local solutions and steeper up-front investment. Those working to reduce emissions in cities object to the criticism, claiming that it’s just too soon to tell.
