Mayor Garcetti and the City of Los Angeles hosted the first U.S.-China Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Summit on September 15 and 16, 2015. The summit followed a landmark climate change agreement that President Obama and President Xi Jinping announced in November 2014. The Beijing agreement includes new targets for U.S. emissions reductions and China’s first-ever commitment to halt its emissions growth by 2030. To support those goals, a Climate-Smart/Low-Carbon Cities Initiative will respond to urbanization and rising greenhouse gas emissions from cities.

The 2015 summit was the first official convening of U.S. and Chinese sub-national leaders on climate change under the Climate Change Working Group. Over 500 attendees joined Mayor Eric Garcetti, California Governor Jerry Brown, Vice President Biden, and 26 local leaders from both nations. The assembled leaders committed to the U.S.-China Climate Leaders Declaration, which affirms commitments by cities, states, and provinces to meet emissions targets that exceed national goals. The summit identified verifiable actions to combat climate change while supporting and expanding bilateral cooperation and dialogue.

MFLA served as sole fiscal agent, working with sponsors and partners who underwrote all summit costs to ensure its success.