MONTREAL -- Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante is among a group of 11 city mayors who will participate in a task force to help cities around the world recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal of the task for is to help cities get back on their feet economically in a way that respects public health, tackles the climate crisis, and reduces inequality.
“The current situation is difficult for all the major cities in the world, and Montreal is no exception,” Plante said in a press release on Thursday. “Our economy as a whole has been hit hard, and more than ever, we will need to position economic recovery in the context of our fight against climate change.”
Plante added that economic recovery must also occur in conjunction with social recovery.
“By investing in solidarity, we will have a more resilient population and a more resilient city,” she said.
The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, will serve as the chair of the task force. Milan was one of the cities hardest hit by the COVID-19 virus.
“The task force will be made up of representatives of mayors from every region within the C40 network, many of whom have unparalleled specialist expertise,” reads a press release by C40 Cities – a network designed to address climate change across the globe by connecting cities to share knowledge and take action.
Other mayors on the force are from Los Angeles, Freetown, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Medellín, Melbourne, New Orleans, Rotterdam, Seattle and Seoul.
The group will meet regularly in the coming weeks and months to look for ways for people to start working again while making sure the climate is respected, and will report back to the C40 network, which is chaired by Los Angeles Mayor, Eric Garcetti.
