Open Letter to the international community and parties to the Paris Agreement from U.S. state, local, and business leaders:
We, the undersigned mayors, county executives, governors, tribal leaders, college and university leaders, businesses, and investors are joining forces for the first time to declare that we will continue to support climate action to meet the Paris Agreement.
In December 2015 in Paris, world leaders signed the first global commitment to fight climate change. The landmark agreement succeeded where past attempts failed because it allowed each country to set its own emission reduction targets and adopt its own strategies for reaching them. In addition, nations - inspired by the actions of local and regional governments, along with businesses - came to recognize that fighting climate change brings significant economic and public health benefits.
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.
In the U.S., it is local, tribal, 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.
In the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, counties, tribes, colleges and universities, businesses and investors, representing a sizeable percentage of the U.S. economy will pursue ambitious climate goals, working together to take forceful action and to ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions.
It is imperative that the world know that in the U.S., the actors that will provide the leadership necessary to meet our Paris commitment are found in city halls, state capitals, colleges and universities, investors and businesses. Together, we will remain actively engaged with the international community as part of the global effort to hold warming to well below 2℃ and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that will benefit our security, prosperity, and health.
In December 2015 in Paris, world leaders signed the first global commitment to fight climate change. The landmark agreement succeeded where past attempts failed because it allowed each country to set its own emission reduction targets and adopt its own strategies for reaching them. In addition, nations - inspired by the actions of local and regional governments, along with businesses - came to recognize that fighting climate change brings significant economic and public health benefits.
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.
In the U.S., it is local, tribal, 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.
In the absence of leadership from Washington, states, cities, counties, tribes, colleges and universities, businesses and investors, representing a sizeable percentage of the U.S. economy will pursue ambitious climate goals, working together to take forceful action and to ensure that the U.S. remains a global leader in reducing emissions.
It is imperative that the world know that in the U.S., the actors that will provide the leadership necessary to meet our Paris commitment are found in city halls, state capitals, colleges and universities, investors and businesses. Together, we will remain actively engaged with the international community as part of the global effort to hold warming to well below 2℃ and to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy that will benefit our security, prosperity, and health.
Signers
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Religious Denominations
Benedictine Sisters Disciples Christian Church IHM Sisters Religious of the Sacred Heart Sisters of Charity SJC Province of USA & Canada Unitarian Universalist Church United Methodist Church |
Regional and National Religious Organizations
Aloka Vihara Forest Monastery Climate Witness Project Creation Justice Ministries Diocese of Easton (MD) Fern cliff Camp and Conference CenterPassionist Earth and Spirit Center Network of Spiritual Progressives Religious of the Sacred Heart, Sophia House Community Sisters of Charity of New York Sisters of St. Dominic, Blauvelt, NY Sisters of the Holy Family Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Thomas Aquinas Parish Wisconsin Green Muslims Young Evangelicals for Climate Action |
Religious Colleges and Universities
Church Divinity School of the Pacific Luther College McAfee School of Theology St. Andrew's School University of San Francisco Church Divinity School of the Pacific Luther College McAfee School of Theology St. Andrew's School University of San Francisco |
Congregations
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Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation
Agape Metropolitan Community Church Albuquerque Mennonite All God's Children MCC All People's Church All Souls Unitarian Church Alum Rock United Methodist Church Austin Zen Center Baha'i Faith of Rockford, IL Baha'i Faith-Mishawaka Community Baha'i: Baha'I of Harrisburg Baha'is of Montgomery County Ohio Baha'is of Utica, Nebraska Benedictine Sisters of Erie Blessed Oscar Romero Catholic Community Bremerton United Methodist Church Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ Central Baptist Church Central Union Church Central United Methodist Church Central United Methodist Church Christ and Trinity Lutheran Church Christ Our King RC Church Church of the Advent of Christ the King Church of the Crossroads Church of the Good Shepherd Church of the Servant Christian Reformed Church Church of the Wildwood Congregation Beit Simchat Torah Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel Congregation Beth Shalom Dominican Sisters of Springfield Drepung Gomang Center for Engaging Compassion Episcopal Anglican Church of the Ascension Faith Lutheran Church Federated Church Federated Community Church Fellowship of Humanity First Congregational Church of Berkeley First Congregational Church of Palo Alto First Congregational Church of Woodstock First Congregational Church UCC First Congregational Church UCC, Albuquerque First Congregational Parish, Unitarian Petersham First Congregational United Church of Christ First Lutheran Church First Presbyterian Church First Presbyterian Church of Urbana First Presbyterian San Anselmo First Presbyterian, El Cajon California First Religious Society, Unitarian Universalist First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Church First Unitarian Church of Cleveland First Unitarian Church of Oakland California First Unitarian Society of Newton, MA First Unitarian Universalist Society of Albany |
First Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco First United Methodist Church First United Methodist church Omaha Nebraska First Universalist Church of Rockland Grace Community Church of Apple Valley Grace Episcopal Church Grace Episcopal Church, Medford MA Grace Lutheran Church Grace Lutheran Church, Raleigh, NC Grand Rapids Dominicans Hancock United Church of Christ Headwaters at Incarnate Word Hillside Community Lutheran Church Holy Cross Metropolitan Community Church of Pensacola, Florida Humboldt Unitarian Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Journey Metropolitan Community Church Joy Metropolitan Community Church Killaloe Diocesan Pastoral Plan Committee Lincoln Street United Methodist Church Los Angeles Friends Meeting (Quaker) Lutheran Church of the Resurrection Lutheran Church of the Resurrection Marquette Unitarian Universalist Congregation Massillon Baptist Temple Mayflower Community Congregational Church MCC United Church of Christ Mendocino Coast Jewish Community Menlo Park Presbyterian Church Metro Community Church Quad Cities Metropolitan Community Church Key West Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford, Connecticut Mount Tabor Lutheran Church, ELCA Mount Vernon Unitarian ChurchMt. Calvary African Methodist Episcopal Church New Life Presbyterian Church Northern Lights MCC Old Cambridge Baptist Church Our Hope Metropolitan Community Church Our Lady of the Americas Shrine Church Our Lady of the Lake Convent Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community Our Mother of Good Counsel church, Bryn Mawr, PA Peace Church UCC Peace Lutheran Church Plymouth United Church of Christ Prairie Circle Unitarian Universalist Congregation Providence Baptist Church Quaker: Annapolis Friends Meeting Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church Rose Hill United Methodist Church Roxbury Congregational Church, UCC Salvisa Christian Church Shepherdstown Presbyterian Churchla Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Charity of Tiffin, Ohio Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society |
St John Evangelical Lutheran Church
St John’s Episcopal Church Boulder Colorado St Luke Presbyterian Church St. Andrew's Episcopal Church St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church St. Ann Roman Church St. Barnabas Church St. Bonaventure Church St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church St. James Episcopal Church St. James' Episcopal Church St. John's Episcopal Church, Vernon St. Mary's Episcopal Church St. Mary's Episcopal Church St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, Acton St. Paul's UCC St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran St. Rosalie Committee for the Common Good St. Thomas Lutheran Church Still. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church Stillpoint at Beckside Spirituality Center Storrs UCC Tehachapi Community Congregational Church UCC Temple Beth El, Stamford CT Temple Emanu-El Temple Hesed The Center for Mindful Learning The Episcopal Church of St. Mary the Virgin The Unitarian Church of Lincoln The Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax The Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor Tippecanoe Presbyterian Church Trinity Las Americas United Methodist Church True Sunshine Episcopal Church Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto Unitarian Universalist Community of the Mountains Unitarian Universalist Congregation East Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County Unitarian Universalist of the Quad Cities Unitarian Universalist Society of Sacramento Unitarian Universalists of San Mateo Unity of Fairfax Church University Lutheran Chapel Urbandale United Church of Christ Valley Ministries MCC Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation Ward Street Mission United Methodist Church Wellesley Friends Meeting West Knoxville Friends Meeting Westminster Presbyterian Church |