Seoul - The largest cities in the world demanded Thursday to have a bigger say in discussions on a new international climate-protection treaty while also calling for more money and expertise from federal governments for fighting global warming. Mayors and representatives from about 80 cities made the demands at the end of their own climate change conference in Seoul ahead of a UN climate summit in December, saying in a joint statement that "the leading role of cities in the global effort against climate change must be recognized."
"The fight against greenhouse gas emissions will be won or lost in cities," said David Miller, mayor of Toronto and chairman of the so-called C40 Group of large cities.
According to the C40, cities take up 2 per cent of the Earth's surface but produce 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, which cause global warming.
"C40 cities and all cities with shared goals must be engaged, empowered and resourced, so that cities can work together to deliver on greenhouse gas-reduction targets and stop climate change," the joint statement said.
The three-day conference occurred ahead of December's UN meeting in Copenhagen, which aims to conclude a treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions and replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
