Pete Buttigieg Proposes Pittsburgh For Climate Change Summit During Democratic Debate
MIAMI, Fla. (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh was name-dropped by a candidate as a great place to host a climate change conference during Thursday night's Democratic presidential primary debate.
While answering a moderator's question about combating climate change, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg proposed that Pittsburgh host a summit where leaders from cities across the globe who are leading the charge against global warming could gather to address the issue.
Climate change isn't theoretical. Parts of California are on fire, in Florida they're talking about sea level rise. In South Bend I had to activate the emergency operation center twice in two years: the first time was a 1000-year flood, the next was a 500-year flood. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/xx7SFoImuv
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) June 28, 2019
"We've got to look to the leadership of local communities," Buttigieg said. "There's networks of mayors and cities from around the world who have come together -- not even waiting for our national governments to catch up."
"We should have a Pittsburgh summit where we bring them together as well as rejoining the Paris climate agreement."
Mayor Bill Peduto agreed with the proposal, tweeting that the city should be considered as the host for the United Nations' climate change conference in November 2022, formally known as the 28th Conference of the Parties, or COP 28.
Hey @PeteButtigieg we agree. A great Climate Change Conference in Pittsburgh would be COP 28 in 2022. You know, that would require a new Federal Administration... https://t.co/AvwDGMOjVG
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 28, 2019
It was far from the first time the mayor of Pittsburgh expressed his commitment to addressing climate change.
In June 2017, President Trump said that he was "elected to represent Pittsburgh, not Paris" during his announcement that he was withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate accord -- a global agreement aimed at slowing climate change by reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Peduto quickly denounced the comment, saying that the city would continue to "follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy and future."
As the Mayor of Pittsburgh, I can assure you that we will follow the guidelines of the Paris Agreement for our people, our economy & future. https://t.co/3znXGTcd8C
— bill peduto (@billpeduto) June 1, 2017
The following day, the mayor ensured that Pittsburgh would adhere to the guidelines set forth in the agreement by issuing an executive order.
Since then, Peduto has continued to uphold his position on global warming -- even traveling to Poland last December to speak on behalf of mayors from the United States at the annual U.N. climate change conference.
