Former Mayor Bloomberg Appointed U.N. Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change

NEW YORK (January 31, 2014) – Philanthropist and 108^th Mayor of New York City Mike Bloomberg was appointed as the United Nations Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change today.

A statement from Peter Lehner, Executive Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, follows:

“During his tenure as Mayor of New York, Mr. Bloomberg was a leader in tackling climate change pollution and working to make the city more resilient to its impacts. His sustainability efforts have helped to make New York’s air the cleanest it has been in over 50 years, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 20 percent since 2007.

“Mr. Bloomberg understands first-hand that our cities must act now to safeguard residents from the impacts of climate change, and that it can be done in a way that will deliver economic benefits at the same time. Earlier this week, he joined us in announcing another project that will help cities around the country do just that. The new City Energy Project will work with 10 major U.S. cities in a united effort to tackle climate change pollution from its largest source—their buildings—setting models that can be replicated around the world.

“After 12 years of experience leading our nation’s largest city down a better path, he is well-suited to guide other cities toward a healthier and more sustainable future, and a perfect choice for the U.N. special envoy.”

For more information on the City Energy Project, a joint initiative from NRDC and the Institute of Market Transformation, go to: http://www.nrdc.org/media/2014/140129a.asp.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 1.4 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at