The United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change.

 

The ambassadorial role is intended to raise political will and mobilise action among cities as part of the UN's long-term strategy to advance efforts on climate change.

 

Bloomberg is expected to act as the catalyst to bring effective solutions to the 2014 Climate Summit that the UN is hosting in New York this September.

 

The former news tycoon, who left office as Mayor at the end of last year after 12 years in the job, currently serves as the President of the Board of the C40 Climate Leadership Group, a network of large cities from around the world committed to implementing meaningful and sustainable climate-related actions locally that will help address climate change globally.

 

The Secretary-General has invited leaders from Governments, businesses, finance and civil society to bring “bold announcements and actions” to the September 23 summit to raise the level of ambition through new and more robust action on climate change.

 

The UN believes cities play an essential role in developing and implementing actions and driving ambition, significantly affecting climate change.