1. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg arriving
2. Woman listening
3. Cutaway of camera
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor:
"In the United States, coal plant closures have helped us reduce carbon emissions more than any other large country over the last decade. And they are about to take us 60 percent of the way towards our Paris agreement goal. So for all the talk of America dropping out and America not doing its part, the truth of the matter is: we are leading the way. And that's without the federal government. God help us if they tried to help us."
5. Cutaway of audience
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor:
"If you are worried about the effects of our federal government, and what the administration is been saying, I am happy to say that since last November the rate of coal plant closures has actually increased, which shows you just how much influence Washington has on this issue."
7. Cutaway of camera
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Bloomberg, former New York mayor:
"Now Germany is considering phasing out coal completely. That would be an incredible step. And I think, if you really care, what you should do is try to call your representative, if your German, and say: 'we want Chancellor Merkel to champion getting rid of coal now'. Forget about the politics, it is lives."
9. Audience applauding
10. Jumper with slogan (English) reading: "Europe beyond coal"
The former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, told an audience on Saturday that coal plant closures have allowed the United States to lead the way in reducing carbon emissions.
He spoke on the sidelines of COP23, a global climate change conference, in Bonn on Saturday.
President Donald Trump has promised to withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate pact where nations set their own goals to reduce the emissions of heat-trapping gases, but because of legal technicalities, America can't get out until November of 2020.
Bloomberg also encouraged Germans to put pressure on their Chancellor Angela Merkel in order to push the government to phase out coal completely.
The German government claims to be a leader in the fight against climate change but has refused to set a date for phasing out the use of coal, which emits large amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide when burned.
Coal accounts for about 40 percent of Germany's energy mix.
Of the major fossil fuels, coal is by far the biggest climate change culprit. In 2014, coal accounted for 46 percent of the globe's carbon dioxide emissions, but was only 29 percent of its energy supply, according to the International Energy Agency.
