Trump's 'nonsense' has only strengthened resolve to fight climate change at local level, Coderre says

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre took a shot Tuesdayat Donald Trump as he kicked off a gathering of mayors from around the world, vowing that municipal leaders will band together to fight climate change despitethe U.S. president's policies.

"I'd like to thank President Trump, because of his nonsense," Coderre said, explaining that the president'sdecision to withdraw the U.S. earlier this monthfrom the landmark Paris climate agreement strengthened the resolve of local leaders to deal with environmental issues.

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"Trust me, the mayors of the world will be able to deliver that accord of Paris," Coderre saidin a morning speech at theMetropolis World Congress, an annual gathering of municipal leaders.

"I always said that you don't define the world through continents and countries anymore, but through cities."

The Paris agreement, a 190-nation pact to reduce earth-warming gases, went into effect for the U.S. in November 2016, but was abandoned earlier this month. Trump called the deal"very unfair to the United States."

Mayors counter Trump

Coderre'scomments can be understood as part of a growing movement to address environmental and social issues at the local level.

Shortly after the U.S. backed out of the agreement,former New York mayor MichaelBloomberg, now a UN special envoyforcitiesand climate change,saidemission levels in the U.S. "are determined far more by cities, states and businesses than they are by our federal government."

He also pledged theU.S. would still meet itscommitmenttoreduceemissions by 26 per cent below2005 levels by 2025.

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A U.S.-based group known as theClimate Mayors now counts 175 members, all municipal leaders who have pledged to "honourand uphold the commitments to the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement."

More than 140 mayors and 1,000 international and local delegates are gathering this week for theMetropolis World Congress at Montreal's Palaisdescongrsconvention centre.

Among those attending are Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel andRon Huldai of Tel Aviv.

Coderreis the current president of theMetropolis World Congress.

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