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Bloomberg Pledges $15 Million For Climate, Says U.S Can Hit Goals Without Washington

Bloomberg Pledges $15 Million For Climate, Says U.S Can Hit Goals Without Washington

Michael Bloomberg has pledged up to $15 million to cover America’s financial commitment in the Paris climate accord. And the former New York City Mayor insists that the U.S. can meet its carbon-reduction goals without the cooperation of the federal government.

The billionaire businessman plans to use his Bloomberg Philanthropies foundation to support the operations of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and help cover a funding gap left by President Donald Trump’s decision to pull America out of the agreement.

“Americans are not walking away from the Paris climate agreement,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “Just the opposite — we are forging ahead. Mayors, governors, and business leaders from both political parties are signing onto a statement of support that we will submit to the UN, and together, we will reach the emission reduction goals the U.S. made in Paris in 2015.”

“Americans will honor and fulfill the Paris Agreement by leading from the bottom up — and there isn’t anything Washington can do to stop us,” added Bloomberg, who’s a U.N. envoy on climate change.

The money will go toward helping countries implement their Paris accord commitments, according to Bloomberg’s statement.

Governors, along with scores of mayors, university presidents and business representatives are preparing a plan pledging to meet the goals of the Paris accord.

They vowed to lobby the U.N. to accept the document just as it would from a national government. Local and state governments can have a major impact on reducing pollution from outright caps on emissions to building transit systems.

“We’re going to do everything America would have done if it had stayed committed,” Bloomberg told The New York Times.

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