Mayor Reed, Agnes Scott sign onto pledge to uphold Paris climate agreement

ajc.com

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and the president of Agnes Scott College are among more than 1,000 U.S. mayors, governors, university presidents and business leaders who have pledged to meet the U.S.'s commitment to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change after President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement.

Reed and Agnes Scott president Elizabeth Kiss signed onto the public pledge, organized by former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“The Trump administration's announcement undermines a key pillar in the fight against climate change and damages the world's ability to avoid the most dangerous and costly effects of climate change. Importantly, it is also out of step with what is happening in the United States,” the pledge states.

“In the U.S., it is local and state governments, along with businesses, that are primarily responsible for the dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. Actions by each group will multiply and accelerate in the years ahead, no matter what policies Washington may adopt.”

Reed, who joined other mayors in Paris in 2015 to demonstrate support for reducing emissions, called Trump's decision last month to withdraw from the agreement disappointing.

"This decision isolates our country from international partners in shared, global efforts to curb climate change, and at its core is an assault on our future stability and prosperity,” he said in a statement.

Kiss said she signed onto the Bloomberg-backed effort because it reflects Agnes Scott’s commitment to sustainability.

“We believe it is our responsibility to prepare our students to engage in the challenges of their time -- and climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing all humanity,” she said.