To complement the United States' return to the Paris climate agreement, elected officials joined the business and nonprofit community to launch the "America Is All In" coalition, which aims to collaborate with the federal government on the fight against climate change.

Co-chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Charlotte, NC Mayor Vi Lyles and CommonSpirit Health CEO Lloyd H. Dean, the group has pledged to cut carbon emissions by at least 50% from a 2005 baseline by 2030, and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The newly formed coalition builds on the work of the "We Are Still In" effort, which brought together state, tribal and local governments, businesses, academic institutions, nonprofits and other groups to curb emissions in the absence of federal aid. With President Biden’s administration pledging action on climate change, officials said this new initiative can supercharge those efforts.

Biden marked his first day in office by taking steps to rejoin the Paris agreement. Following President Trump's withdrawal from the agreement in 2017, a slew of states and cities pledged to uphold the goals of the accord. And thanks to those local-level efforts, the U.S. did not fall too far behind.

Indeed, a report from America's Pledge issued last year found that states, cities and businesses accelerated their decarbonization efforts despite major economic and national political headwinds.

"Cities have been at the forefront of taking climate action, even in the absence of a federal commitment," Lyles said during a webinar to mark the coalition’s launch. "Today, as we re-enter the Paris agreement, we are taking a vital step to reestablish the United States' leadership on climate, rejoining the global community."

Some federal leaders have said the local actions taken on climate change over the past four years have given them hope for the future. White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy said grassroots efforts led by Bloomberg Philanthropies and local governments gave "vibrancy and hope at the state and city level."

Read the full article about local leaders building climate solutions by Chris Teale at Smart Cities Dive.