Mayors and experts from around the world are in Edmonton this week to discuss climate change.
Edmonton is hosting the first CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference from Monday to Wednesday, which hundreds of delegates will attend.
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On Sunday, in advance of the conference, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson hosted officials from around the world for a series of meetings.
About 800 municipal representatives, scientists and academics from around the world will attend the summit to share the latest scientific research on climate change and discuss ideas to address what needs to be done by local governments to address climate change.
“What we all have in common is a longstanding commitment to making evidence based decisions,” Iveson said.
“What the world needs more of is science-based policy and evidence-based decision-making because ideology is not getting us to solutions — which is what our citizens demand from us and what the science tells us is necessary.”
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The idea for the conference came after Iveson attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2016.
“Much of the conversation around climate change is around the scale of the challenge, which cannot be understated, but cities are all about possibility and all about solutions,” Iveson said.
“The innovation that will be required will put humanity to the test but in a very exciting way and with great urgency.”
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The event is co-hosted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.