The mayors of five of the world’s major cities have written a desperate plea to their counterparts in the United States, urging them to ignore Donald Trump’s climate science denial and press ahead with steps to tackle global warming.

Urban areas are responsible for about 75 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, so cities can make a significant contribution if they choose to do so.

The US President-elect has described climate change as a “hoax” and packed his Cabinet with people who have a track record of scepticism and denial about climate change.

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The cities – Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm, Sydney and Vancouver – are members of the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA), which wants to cut emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050.

Its membership already includes a number of US cities, such as New York, Washington DC and San Francisco, as well as the likes of London, Berlin and Yokohama in Japan.

Johanna Partin, director of the CNCA, said: “The US election makes clear that sub-national actors – especially cities – are America’s only hope now in terms of climate action.

“President-elect Trump has picked a fellow climate science denier to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, an oil tycoon to head the State Department, an enthusiastic fossil fuel extractor as Energy Secretary, and gas pipeline supporter Ryan Zinke as Interior Secretary.

“These appointments are illustrative of how many steps back America is already starting to take. Climate policy cannot take a sabbatical and wait another four years or another election cycle for more aggressive action.”

In the letter, the five mayors – Raymond Johansen of Oslo, Eduardo Paes of Rio de Janeiro, Karin Wanngård of Stockholm, Clover Moore of Sydney and Gregor Robertson of Vancouver – were unequivocal about the threat posed by the Trump presidency.

“America’s President-elect has made it clear that he plans to eviscerate the country’s environmental protections, including plans to cut emissions at coal-fired power plants, one of the most egregious carbon footprints in one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters,” they wrote to the mayors of eight US cities, including Boston, Boulder in Colorado, Minneapolis and Seattle.

“President-elect Trump has stated that in his first 100 days he will do everything he can to dramatically expand the production of shale, oil, natural gas and coal; lift roadblocks to fossil fuel pipeline expansion projects like Keystone Pipeline; and cancel billions in payments for climate change programs.

“We see climate change as a core issue of national interest, and a key driver of the march toward a cleaner and more equitable future.”

They pointed out that the number of jobs in renewable energy was growing rapidly with employment in the sector increasing 12 times faster than the general economy.

“Business leaders understand this,” the mayors said.

Shape Created with Sketch. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 1/10 A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 2/10 Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 3/10 Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 4/10 Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 5/10 Smoke – filled with the carbon that is driving climate change – drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 6/10 A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 7/10 Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. “Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals,” says the photographer. “Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow.” Rizwan Dharejo 8/10 A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 9/10 A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a “public health emergency”. Leung Ka Wa 10/10 Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan 1/10 A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 2/10 Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 3/10 Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 4/10 Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 5/10 Smoke – filled with the carbon that is driving climate change – drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 6/10 A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 7/10 Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. “Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals,” says the photographer. “Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow.” Rizwan Dharejo 8/10 A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 9/10 A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a “public health emergency”. Leung Ka Wa 10/10 Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

“This is why you, the mayors of America’s leading cities, must continue to be at the forefront of climate action in the US going forward.

“This is increasingly important as your new national leadership abdicates responsibility for protecting Americans and the world from fossil fuel impacts to our people’s health, our economies, and our environment.”

And they pointed to other benefits from ditching oil, coal and gas beyond preventing dangerous climate change and creating new jobs.

“Life gets better, cleaner, healthier, and more efficient as we embrace a clean energy future, work to eliminate dirty emissions, and put people – not fossil fuels – at the centre of our economies,” the mayors said.

They even pinched Mr Trump’s favourite slogan.

“Making America great is about ensuring that its people are healthy and happy, its economies and environments are thriving, and its security is sound. We pledge to support you as you continue to do this.

“We hope the Trump administration will support you, America’s leading cities, in your efforts.

“However if they do not, we, as fellow leading climate action cities, will stand by you to help in whatever ways we can.”