Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.
Speaker 2: I'm here with the chairman of C forty Cities, a
Speaker 2: group that's very active here in the early days of
Speaker 2: this COP thirty summit. Let me start by asking about
Speaker 2: the role of mayors in this conversation. We in the
Speaker 2: US know well that the President has expressed more than
Speaker 2: skepticism about climate chain. I noticed there you go. What's
Speaker 2: the role of mayors here and how do you see
Speaker 2: this conversation evolving over the next three weeks.
Speaker 1: Well, there's a huge amount of energy and dynamism and
Speaker 1: hope here in rear because this is also a gathering
Speaker 1: of C forty the world Miss sum It's taking place
Speaker 1: in Rio, and we've got great story to tell about
Speaker 1: how in cities across the globe, including some states in
Speaker 1: the USA, we've been tackling the climate emergency, creating great jobs,
Speaker 1: improving air quality, and showing that we are the doers
Speaker 1: at a time and many national leaders are the delayers
Speaker 1: and the deniers.
Speaker 2: It's always a parlor game of how big a Camp
Speaker 2: thirty is going to be set the expectations for us
Speaker 2: in terms of what we will get out of this
Speaker 2: at the end of it.
Speaker 1: Well, I'm hoping that over the next three days, the energy,
Speaker 1: the dynamism, the optimism from mayors leads into from Rio
Speaker 1: to Blem. So the presidents and the prime ministers who
Speaker 1: are coming to blem will see examples of success stories. Yeah,
Speaker 1: by the way, we don't just deliver, we win elections
Speaker 1: again and again and again, and that'll give them a
Speaker 1: sort of encouragement to go much further this year a cop,
Speaker 1: it's really important. Why across the globe you're seeing heat waves,
Speaker 1: you're seeing wildfires, you're seeing flooding, You're seeing people concerned
Speaker 1: about the consequences of this emergency. You're not just in
Speaker 1: the global South like yesteryear, but in the global North,
Speaker 1: in the USA, in the UK, across mainland your brother,
Speaker 1: the public is demanding now much more of our national politicians.
Speaker 2: Your message to the British government UK government was this
Speaker 2: can't be the Ed Milliban show. It can't just be
Speaker 2: the energy secretary talking about climate It has to be
Speaker 2: something that labor priority the government takes up in earnest
Speaker 2: What is your message to them in full about how
Speaker 2: they should be looking at this event and the all
Speaker 2: of climate change and in their conversation their policy conversations.
Speaker 1: More broadly, while I'm really pleased and proud, proud, and
Speaker 1: unlike some countries, my national leader is here, and it's
Speaker 1: really will be Ca Starman will be here, the properncy
Speaker 1: will be here. He does not think the climate change
Speaker 1: catastrophe is a scam. He does believe the science really important.
Speaker 1: But also it's really important that he's here because it
Speaker 1: sends a message. We take it seriously. What I want
Speaker 1: to do is turn this crisis into an opportunity. But
Speaker 1: also it's going to be a joint endeavor. It should
Speaker 1: be everyone in government. The new homes we need to build,
Speaker 1: they should be energy efficient. They should be building in
Speaker 1: a way that they are cooler in summer, warmer in winter.
Speaker 1: But all's help with people's bilds by being energy efficient.
Speaker 1: I want us to think about what is the future
Speaker 1: of work with AI, with automation, with factories closing down.
Speaker 1: I think there are jobs in terms of building the
Speaker 1: wind turbines, building the solar panels, building electric buses, building
Speaker 1: electric cars, installing the charging points. And that's why I
Speaker 1: think this is an opportunity and loot these fossil fuels
Speaker 1: we've used to our benefit. Individually and societies for children years.
Speaker 1: But it's caused real damage to the environment. There are
Speaker 1: alternatives now, whether it's solo, whether it's nuclear, whether it's
Speaker 1: a wind, we should be invested in those.
Speaker 2: I come from New York where we're hearing an awful
Speaker 2: lot about London. It's being charactured and stereotyped in the
Speaker 2: context of this mayoral race by the president, by one
Speaker 2: of the candidates from mayor as well. It's been portrayed
Speaker 2: as a place that's out of control, a lot of crime,
Speaker 2: there's a heavy amount of Islamophobia in there as well.
Speaker 2: What's your response to that, the way that London is
Speaker 2: being used as sort of something held up in the
Speaker 2: New York mayor old campaign.
Speaker 1: But first, I've got some friends who are in New York,
Speaker 1: and I think New York is the second greatest city
Speaker 1: in the Well. Look, there's a reason why there are
Speaker 1: some people hate London and hate New York. There's a
Speaker 1: reason why they demonize London and now indeed New York.
Speaker 1: Why Because we are progressive cities, We are liberal cities,
Speaker 1: we are multicultural cities, and were incredibly successful. We are
Speaker 1: the antithesis of nativist, populist commentators and politicians, and I think, listen,
Speaker 1: the fact that in New York you may elect somebody
Speaker 1: who's a Muslim is neither here nor there. It's what
Speaker 1: are his policies, what are his vision? What does you
Speaker 1: want to do for the people of New York? And
Speaker 1: I think, listen, it says more about the people criticizing,
Speaker 1: you know, Zora Mundani's ethnicity and faith says more about them,
Speaker 1: and you know what they're all about that it says
Speaker 1: about him.
Speaker 2: You spoke with him after the Democratic primary, and I
Speaker 2: wonder if you could kind of characterize what that conversation
Speaker 2: was like. You say, it's neither here nor there that
Speaker 2: he could be the first Muslim mayor of New York.
Speaker 2: And I'll go with your hierarchy, London to New York,
Speaker 2: these two major major cities. What did you tell them
Speaker 2: about what that is like? You're the first Muslim mayor
Speaker 2: of London, what that means.
Speaker 1: Conversations with others are our private conversations. But I'm quite clear,
Speaker 1: when you are from a city like London or New York,
Speaker 1: I think the greatest honor and the greatest privilege is
Speaker 1: to be the leader of that city. I've had many
Speaker 1: great jobs in my life that I've thoroughly enjoyed. There
Speaker 1: is no greater job than being the mayor of your city.
Speaker 1: I've seen from Afar the campaign that Zora Mundani has run.
Speaker 1: He appears to be having fun, he appears to be connecting.
Speaker 1: He's doing something that I know a lot about, which
Speaker 1: is reaching parts of your city that are undiscernd, reaching
Speaker 1: people that hitherto feel as if politics isn't for you.
Speaker 1: Understand that actually, you know, sometimes cities aren't fair. Sometimes
Speaker 1: in a city you've got two separate tales taking place.
Speaker 1: And what's important is for you to be authentic, and
Speaker 1: whether you're in New York or London or other parts
Speaker 1: of the globe, is to be true to yourself. That
Speaker 1: I'm looking forward seeing the results in the next couple days,
Speaker 1: actually see what.
Speaker 2: Happens with your mayorality. And perhaps there is an element
Speaker 2: of being the mayor of London or in New York
Speaker 2: that is a global responsibility. You're here in Brazil. How
Speaker 2: much of that is a surprise to you, and which
Speaker 2: do you think about the role of London on the
Speaker 2: global stage.
Speaker 1: But the reality is when you are from a global city,
Speaker 1: when you are a leader of that global city. Your
Speaker 1: audience really importantly are your constituents, but also it's the
Speaker 1: globe because the world's eyes are on London. The world's
Speaker 1: eyes indeed are on New York. That is a huge privilege,
Speaker 1: but it comes with a huge responsibility. So I've never
Speaker 1: campaigned to be a Muslim mayor. I don't use those
Speaker 1: sort of words. I have a mayor Muslim, but I
Speaker 1: recognize and this is just a fact of life. There
Speaker 1: are some people who may not a better Muslim. There
Speaker 1: are some people who only see things in movies or
Speaker 1: when they're here from presidents, and I want to address
Speaker 1: some of the fairs people have. Sometimes because I have
Speaker 1: a Muslim, I recognize sometimes people prejudge what it means
Speaker 1: to be a Muslim, so not by choice, but almost
Speaker 1: by duty. Sometimes I sometimes use my role to explain
Speaker 1: we aren't the boogeyman. We are just like you. We
Speaker 1: were the same ambitions and aspirations as you. I'd never
Speaker 1: asked for that responsibility, but I recognize as the leader
Speaker 1: of a great city, as a proud brit a proud Englishman,
Speaker 1: a proud Londoner, but also a proud Muslim, I'm more
Speaker 1: than happy to talk about my faith and what it means,
Speaker 1: and I'm sure you'll see if Zara mam Nani does win,
Speaker 1: mum Donah doing the same, not because he necessarily wants to,
Speaker 1: but because he recognizes that our religion has been demonized.
Speaker 1: I think we both would recognize that actually a small
Speaker 1: minority of people who claim to follow our religion off
Speaker 1: and some bad stuff that doesn't represent the more than
Speaker 1: two billion people on this planet who are Muslims.
Speaker 2: Last question, kind of playing off of this in New
Speaker 2: York in this campaign, there is a lot of warning
Speaker 2: from a lot of wealthier New Yorker is saying that
Speaker 2: people will leave the city where he'd win if the
Speaker 2: city were to get too progressive as they see, and
Speaker 2: we had Nigel Farajishween the same warning in London today
Speaker 2: that there is a chance that people who are of
Speaker 2: means in London might have left to lead if we
Speaker 2: go farther to the left. There. Your response to that
Speaker 2: warning or that proposed trend.
Speaker 1: Well, firstly, I've got no idea whether that is the case,
Speaker 1: whether that or will happen. If that is the case,
Speaker 1: come to London. I'm going to run at the red
Speaker 1: carpet and welcome you to London. I think the reality
Speaker 1: is New York's a great city. I hope ne York
Speaker 1: continues to flourish and thrive. Of course, like London, we
Speaker 1: have challenges, but the joy of being the marriage you
Speaker 1: work with everyone across your city. I campaigned to be
Speaker 1: a mayor for all Londoners. Yes, I campaign for those
Speaker 1: who live in deprived communities, those who desperately need social housing,
Speaker 1: those who are facing the consequences of cost of live
Speaker 1: in crisis. But also recognizing that I, as a politician,
Speaker 1: don't create the wealth. I don't create the jobs. But
Speaker 1: working with the private sector, working with all Londoners, you
Speaker 1: can do a great job.