The New York City Council on Wednesday voted to declare a climate emergency, becoming the largest city in the country to commit to combat climate change.
The legislation passed Wednesday includes a laundry list of impacts from climate change, concluding by calling for “an immediate emergency mobilization to restore a safe climate.”
The resolution itself is largely symbolic, codifying an acknowledgment of the local costs of climate change and a commitment to tackle the crisis.
More than 650 municipalities in 15 countries have declared climate emergencies, including 17 in the U.S. such as San Francisco, Calif., and Hoboken, N.J., according to The Climate Mobilization, an environmental advocacy group.
Sydney declared a climate emergency earlier this week, joining London as major international cities adopting the wording.
New York City’s declaration comes days after the state legislature passed a sweeping climate bill aimed at net-zero emissions by 2050, a figure recommended by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
City Council passed an emissions reduction bill targeted at large buildings earlier this year.
