Mayor Caldwell signs Sierra Club's “Mayors for 100% Clean Energy” pledge

MIAMI BEACH, Florida -- Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is attending the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Miami Beach after signing the Sierra Club’s “Mayors for 100% Clean Energy” initiative, joining a growing group of 118 cities in the United States to endorse a goal of transitioning to a 100 percent clean and renewable energy future.The signed commitment states, “I, Mayor Kirk Caldwell of Honolulu, Hawai‘i, support a goal of 100 percent clean, renewable energy in my city and across the United States. I believe that a transition to clean energy is good for my community: It will make us stronger, healthier, and more resilient; it will create jobs and new business opportunities; and it will allow us to become a more equitable society where everyone has opportunity in a thriving local economy.”During this weekend’s conference, Mayors will be voting on a “100% Renewable Energy in American Cities” resolution to support making 100 percent renewable power a top policy priority over the next decade. The resolution represents 148 million people and 41.8 percent of the country’s electricity use. If passed, it will be the broadest rejection of President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the Unites States from the Paris Climate Agreement.“The Sierra Club O‘ahu Group applauds Mayor Caldwell for signing the Sierra Club’s "Mayors 100% Clean Energy" pledge and encourages his support for the resolution at the U.S. Conference of Mayors” said Jodi Malinoski, O‘ahu Group Coordinator. “As the Trump Administration threatens to undo recent progress towards clean energy, the Mayor’s commitment will ensure that Honolulu will be a strong leader for climate justice. We look forward to working with the Mayor, City Council, and the new Office of Climate Change, Sustainability, and Resiliency to accelerate Honolulu’s transition away from dirty, imported fossil fuels to locally-produced, renewable energy.”- END -The Sierra Club of Hawai‘i’s O‘ahu Group is an environmental advocacy group with approximately 8,000 members and supporters island-wide. We have an ambitious agenda to improve the sustainability of our island home and focus on a wide spectrum of issues: such as mitigating and adapting to climate change, concentrating smart growth and development within the urban core, and advocating for local food production, water security, and waste reduction. We rely on volunteers to support outdoor education programs, trail and native species restoration projects, and grassroots advocacy for sound environmental policies.The Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign is a new national campaign launched in 2016 working to accelerate a just and equitable transition to 100 percent clean energy in the United States. Ready for 100 is campaigning to get 100 cities in the United States to move away from dirty, outdated fossil fuels and to commit to 100 percent clean energy. To read the “Mayors for 100% Clean Energy” endorsement and see the list of Mayors who have pledged their support, visit: http://www.sierraclub.org/ready-for-100/mayors-for-clean-energy