Mayors ditch ‘business as usual’ in COVID recovery

Mayors of cities around the world have united to issue a call for a healthy, equitable and sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In a statement endorsed by the mayors of London, Milan, Barcelona, New York City, Seoul, Sydney and Vancouver and many more, the C40 group of cities issued a statement of principles to shape the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

They pledge “to build a better, more sustainable and fairer society out of the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.”

The announcement comes after a series of virtual meetings attended by more than 40 mayors, demonstrating how they are working together globally to overcome both the coronavirus and climate change crises.

The Global Mayors COVID-19 Recovery Task Force will establish a common framework that all of C40’s global membership can use to create a "new normal" for city economies; agree upon concrete measures they can put in place for recovery; how to communicate about the climate crisis in a post-COVID-19 world; and how can they influence stimulus packages and interventions to support the necessary transition to a more sustainable, low-carbon, inclusive and healthier economy for people and the planet. 

The C40 Cities joint strategy emphasises that the recovery should not be a return to ‘business as usual’ – because that is a world on track for 3°C or more of over-heating.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London said: “I welcome the united effort by C40 Mayors to ensure that recovery from COVID-19 is sustainable and confronts the climate crisis. These are testing times for all of us. I want to reaffirm London’s commitment to working with our friends and partners overseas to limit the impact of this pandemic as much as possible, but also to build a better future.

C40 Board President and former mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg said: “This task force is committed to helping city leaders as they work on economic recovery in ways that lead us forward into the future, not back into the past. The principles we’ve outlined will guide our efforts to develop a new normal – one that is greener, healthier, and more prosperous for everyone.”