MAYOR RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI OF WARSAW, POLAND JOINS THE BOARD OF THE GLOBAL COVENANT OF MAYORS
Brussels, Belgium (April 2022) – Today, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) announced the appointment of Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski of Warsaw, Poland to the GCoM Board. Mayor Trzaskowski will replace former Board Member Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris whose Board term ended in July 2021.
The Global Covenant Board represents the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, representing more than 11,700 cities and local governments around the world committed to addressing the climate crisis. The alliance is co-chaired by Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP and 108th Mayor of New York City, and Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.
As GCoM Board member, Mayor Trzaskowski will serve as ambassador for urban climate action at the local, national, and global level and help shepherd Europe towards ambitious emissions reduction goals, helping national governments meet the highest ambitions of the Paris agreement. As Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the climate and energy transition in Warsaw and across Europe. He was instrumental in aligning the Covenant of Mayors – Europe with Europe’s climate neutrality ambition and European climate law. As Mayor of Warsaw, Mayor Trzaskowski will represent the European Union and Western Europe region on the GCoM Board.
“We’re glad to welcome Mayor Trzaskowski to the Board of the Global Covenant of Mayors,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, U.N. Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy Co-Chair. “We look forward to working with him to elevate the role of local leaders in the fight against the climate crisis and help them do more, faster, to cut emissions. Europe plays a pivotal role in speeding up the global transition to clean energy. As a representative of Poland, which is on the frontlines of the energy and humanitarian crises caused by the invasion of Ukraine, his insights and leadership will be vital.”
“We welcome Mayor Trzaskowski to the GCoM Board,” said Frans Timmermans, Co-Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors and Executive Vice President for the European Green New Deal. “Together with Mayor Trzaskowski, we are looking forward to supporting the actions cities take to tackle the climate crisis. In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the need to reduce our energy dependency, cities’ role in accelerating the clean energy transition is more important than ever.”
Mayor Trzaskowski’s term began in March 2022.
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About the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM)
GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, uniting a global coalition of over 11,700 cities and local governments and 100+ supporting partners. The cities and partners of GCoM share a long-term vision of supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and towards a resilient and low-emission society. GCoM serves cities and local governments by mobilizing and supporting ambitious, measurable, planned climate and energy action in their communities by working with city/regional networks, national governments, and other partners to achieve our vision. Led today by UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg and European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans, the coalition comprises cities across six continents and 142 countries, representing over one billion people or more than 13% of the global population.