New Orleans has joined other cities around the world in an effort to divest from fossil fuel like oil, gas and coal.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell took part in a meeting today with mayors from cities including New York and London.
She told the panel, "We're on our way. We have a goal of reducing our carbon footprint by 50% by 2030; and it's like 'wow' that's less than 10 years away."
The meeting was done on a Zoom call. It was titled, "Towards a Green & Just Recovery: Reimagining Our Future Through Divest/Invest."
Cantrell said by November New Orleans will have spent more than half a billion dollars on green investments this year.
"Benefits of a low carbon economy include clearer air, and of course, improved quality of life for our people."
Additionally, the mayor says that recovering from the pandemic and its economic impacts will require diversifying the New Orleans economy.
"The fastest growing jobs in the US right now we know are in solar and wind industries. We wanna be a part of that," Cantrell insisted.
She noted that the city's heavy reliance on hospitality industry jobs dealt a big blow to the local economy when travel shut down as the pandemic unfolded. The mayor talked about moving away from such a large percentage of employment in New Orleans being tied to tourism.
"In a time when rethinking our old paradigms is the only way towards a real sustainable COVID recovery, redirecting funds toward green investments fosters green jobs and sustainable industries."
Cantrell wants to develop more employment in the city associated with clean energy careers "to make our city, of course, more resilient... allow our people to pivot towards these careers that will be sustainable, literally, for generations."
Organizers said, "Cities around the world are leading in the global movement to divest from fossil fuel companies and invest in the future of our planet. This virtual event will feature a panel of global leaders sharing ideas on the roles of sustainable investment and fossil fuel divestment in a green and just recovery from the COVID-19 crisis."
Other participants included:
Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City
Mxolisi Kaunda, Mayor of Durban
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh