Mayor Francis Suarez, City Host Resilience Summit with Global Climate Leaders
Miami, FL - Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and City leaders hosted former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the recently-formed Global Commission on Adaptation this past Tuesday, February 19 for a day-long summit focused on the City’s ongoing resilience efforts. The Commission, which counts Secretary General Ban as one of its founding co-chairs, selected Miami as the site of its first-ever mission to the United States, an acknowledgement of Miami’s place on the frontlines of climate change and the City’s important role in mitigating its impacts
Former UN Secretary General and current Global Commission on Adaptation Co-Chair Ban Ki-moon (L) and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez (R) discuss the City's resilience efforts on Tuesday, February 19“It was an honor to host former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon of the Global Commission on Adaptation in Miami,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “Secretary General Ban’s visit speaks to Miami’s pivotal role in shaping the future of resiliency. As the only US mayor named to this Commission, I look forward to collaborating with the Secretary General, and other global stakeholders, to elevate our city’s voice as a climate solution leader for the world.”
This week's summit featured formal discussions between City leaders, Global Commission members, representatives from 100 Resilient Cities, and members of the American Flood Coalition. The delegation also toured resilience projects in Miami's Brickell neighborhood and along the city's waterfront, providing a close-up look at completed resilience projects. Following the tour, City and Global Commission officials held a climate adaptation panel discussion at Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus, providing an opportunity for the public to engage with some of the world's top climate adaptation experts and advocates. More than 300 students, residents and local stakeholders attended the session. Click here for a video recap of the day’s events.
"I am very impressed by the adaptation actions the City of Miami is undertaking under the leadership of Mayor Suarez,” said Ban Ki-moon, 8th UN Secretary General and Chair of the Global Commission on Adaptation. “Through my work with the Global Commission, we will ensure Miami's know-how and experiences will be evaluated and shared with other cities around the world."
"Miami shows us that adaptation can not only keep the infrastructure of cities resilient and sustainable for generations to come, but that it also saves money and has benefits that go beyond addressing climate risk," added Patrick Verkooijen, CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation and Managing Partner of the Global Commission on Adaptation.
In concert with the visit, Mayor Suarez and Secretary General Ban co-authored an op-ed piece that appeared in the print and online editions of the New York Times and highlights the importance of climate adaptation work, particularly at the local level. To read the full op-ed, please click here.
Secretary General Ban led the UN from 2007 through 2016, making climate matters a focal point of his tenure. In October 2018, he joined Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair Bill Gates and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva as a founding co-chair of the UN’s new Global Commission on Adaptation. The organization aims to elevate the importance of climate adaptation and resiliency efforts among policymaking bodies worldwide and to accelerate solutions. That mission closely aligns with Secretary General Ban’s well-documented climate efforts and the City of Miami’s ongoing Miami Forever Bond Program implementation.
To learn more about the City's resilience efforts through the Miami Forever Bond Program, please click here. For additional information on the Global Commission on Adaptation, please click here.
