USCM, Clinton Foundation promote greening of cities
On Thursday, former President Bill Clinton announced at the Washington-based U.S. Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) Mayors Climate Protection Summit that the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and USCM would provide 1,100 cities access to volume discounts on energy-efficient and clean-energy products. Previously, only the world’s 40 largest cities had access to CCI’s purchasing consortium.
The CCI consortium has discounted pricing agreements with 22 manufacturers of energy-efficient products, including lighting, clean-fueled vehicles and traffic signals. Some of the products will be available at 70 percent of their original price. “By offering the products at a discounted rate, we can assure that more cities and citizens have access to them and that the market for clean energy technology will grow,” Clinton says.
More than 300 mayors are attending the USCM summit in Seattle. “Mayors are considering every possible action to utilize clean technologies and promote more efficient energy use to reverse the negative effects of climate change in cities,” says USCM President and Trenton, N.J., Mayor Doug Palmer. “This new partnership will take our collective efforts to the next level.” More information on the summit and the partnership is available at www.usmayors.org.
