Lots of Aggressive Climate Pledges, but How Do We Measure Progress? (Invited Presentation)

Over 85% of Americans live in urban areas, which produce ~80% of US greenhouse gas emissions. The US plan to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord motivated 400 U.S. mayors – representing 69 million people – to pledge to fulfill it. Mayors intend to make a climate impact to make their communities greener and cleaner. To succeed, they need to take bold policy actions and to show that emissions are declining. This talk explores an observation pathway forward that includes activity-based models, biological insights, atmospheric measurements, and new satellite observations.