Scientists, city mayors gather in Edmonton ahead of climate change conference

More than 750 people have arrived in Edmonton for theCities and Climate Change Science conference, which brings politicians and researchers together to discuss environmental sustainability.

The inauguralconference starts Mondayand will feature discussions on howclimate change affects cities and howcities can help protectthe environment.

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One of the goals of the conference is to "develop a blueprint for new scientific research," which will help shape climate change plans globally, according to the event's website.

"This is not only a historic weekfor Edmonton, but for the world," said Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto.

Peduto and othermayors from across the world came together ahead of the conferencefortheGlobal Mayors Summit over the weekend. The private event kicked off the climate change conversation, with the mayors hearing from experts and learning about new research.

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Edmonton mayor Don Iveson said it was a productive weekend that allowed leaders to discuss the roles different levels of government play in addressing climate change.

"The overarching challenge is the complexity of it," Ivesonsaid."But that's the point of having hundreds of thousands of local governments working together with thousands of esteemed scientists to understand what the gaps in the knowledge are."

WilliamSolecki, the founding director of theCity University of New YorkInstitute For Sustainable Cities,said one of those gaps has to do with the accessibility of research. He saidclimate change research needs to be easily understood bygovernment officials.

"The science is emerging," Solecki said. "It's growing in volume, complexity, nuance and there's a challenge to translate that into practical statements."

The Cities and Climate Change Science conference runs from Monday toWednesday at the Shaw Conference Centre and is open to the public.