22 June 2017: Since President Trump’s announcement of US’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change on 1 June 2017, US cities, federal states, subnational entities and other relevant stakeholders have demonstrated commitment to climate action and reaffirmed their intention to uphold the Paris Agreement.

The cities of Sarasota, Florida, and Columbia, South Carolina, pledged commitment to transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2045 and 2036, respectively. These announcements bring the total number of US cities with a 100% renewables target to 36. Other cities include: Santa Barbara, California; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Madison, Wisconsin; Abita Springs, Louisiana; Pueblo, Colorado; and Moab, Utah. [City of Sarasota Press Release] [City of Columbia Press Release] [Climate Action Press Release]

In other news related to the climate action of non-state actors in the US, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law of Columbia Law School, New York, US, released a report titled ‘Act Locally, Reflect Globally: A Checklist of Options for US Cities and States to Engage Internationally in Climate Action.’ The report outlines ways for US cities and federal states engage in climate action. It suggests that interested US cities and states can, inter alia, register their commitment through the Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA) portal, which currently references over 12,500 climate-related initiatives by a wide range of stakeholders. [Act Locally, Reflect Globally: A Checklist of Options for US Cities and States to Engage Internationally in Climate Action] [NAZCA Portal] [Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Website] [UNFCCC Press Release]