mayors for heat action
The Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center hosted a conversation on heat with the mayors of Athens, Greece, Freetown, Sierra Leonne and Miami-Dade County, Florida. During “Mayors for Heat Action,” each spoke about the hardship endured by their citizens as temperatures rise and offered solutions. Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown discussed her city’s establishment of the first Chief Heat Officer in all of Africa. Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis of Athens talked about how his city will begin categorizing heat waves using a system similar to the Saffir-Simpson scale used for hurricanes. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County announced the establishment of a first-ever “heat season,” similar to hurricane season, that will run from May 1st – October 31st.
UNITED STATES AT COP26
Day Two of COP26 saw much activity in the Pavilion section of the Blue Zone, including the announcement that over 60 countries are supporting the Global Methane Pledge, an effort aiming to reduce global methane emissions at least 30% by 2030. The U.S. Climate Action Center was launched with perspectives from Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California, Kelly Takaya King, Council Member, County of Maui, and Shelly Schlenker, Executive Vice President, CommonSpirit Health, among others. Gina McCarthy, White House National Climate Advisor, spoke at the U.S. Center during an “Advancing Adaptation at Home and in Vulnerable Countries” event.
Patricia Kombo, UNCCD Land Hero Environmentalist from Kenya, participates in the “HELLO” participatory art project.