The polluted Shanghai skyline.  | Shutterstock

At C40 Summit in Copenhagen, local leaders pledge to push aggressive measures to curb dirty air On the last day of this week?s C40 World Mayor?s Summit, a global gathering of local leaders in Copenhagen dedicated to combating climate change, 35 cities pledged to take new action to fight air pollution.
By signing the C40 Clean Air Cities Declaration, these cities in effect promise to make promises. Signatories will ?set ambitious pollution reduction targets within two years that meet or exceed national commitments, putting them on a path towards meeting World Health Organization guidelines,? and will implement substantive clean air policies by 2025, publicly reporting their progress on achieving cleaner air going forward. The idea is to spur a ?race to the top? as cities compete to lower their own emissions. But, progress by these cities?which include Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, and Washington, D.C., Mexico City, Seoul, and Paris?can make an outsize impact on the health of millions and speed up the global push toward carbon-free transit and curtailing emissions. Drastic action is requited to make a dent; last year, according to the International Energy Agency, global energy-related carbon emissions hit a new record high.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine in 10 people around the world breathe dirty air, and 7 million people die prematurely each year due to air pollution. The organizat...