Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is returning from the Vatican, where he attended a two-day climate conference with Pope Francis.
Robertson was the only Canadian amongst 60 mayors who took part in the conference, promoting Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment that denounces the economy’s dependence on fossil fuels.
The mayor is scheduled to speak in front of delegates on Wednesday regarding Vancouver’s success at tackling climate pollution as a city.
“It is a remarkable honor to be invited by Pope Francis to discuss how cities and the global community can and must act in concert to drastically reduce climate pollution,” Robertson previously stated in a press release.
Before leaving, Robertson took part in the signing of a final declaration that states, “human-induced climate change is a scientific reality and its effective control is a moral imperative for humanity.”
“Pope Francis’ leadership will build on the resounding unity of big cities worldwide in calling for meaningful and binding emissions targets, and for a climate agreement signed in Paris that respects the needs of our cities, our planet and the generations to come,” said Robertson.
Robertson went to the Vatican in hopes of gaining insight on how to reach Vancouver’s goal as the greenest city by 2020, as well as to preparing to put pressure on the federal government regarding climate change and carbon reduction.
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