N.Y. among 21 cities to disclose carbon output

NEW YORK (Reuters) – More than 20 U.S. cities, including New York, Las Vegas and Denver, have agreed to measure their carbon footprints, with a system some 1,300 companies have been persuaded to use, in an attempt to find ways to curb emissions blamed for warming the planet.

“If you don’t measure these emissions, you cannot manage them,” said Paul Dickinson, the chief executive of the UK- based Carbon Disclosure Project, which joined forces with the cities. Urban traffic, buildings and manufacturers emit 70 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases.

Each of the 21 cities will gather emissions data for their municipal functions, such as their fire and police departments, government buildings and waste services, which will help cities compare how they are doing. They will also assess emissions from the city as a whole.

“Working together, and with the best data, we can manage this problem,” New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a release.

Reuters