Earlier this year, Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson was part of a group of civic leaders who discussed global warming with Pope Francis.

This week, Robertson will join a group of urban-sustainability experts and Secretary of State John Kerry to talk about climate change.

The State Department is hosting the event in the lead-up to the UN climate conference in Paris later this year. The meetings take place in Washington, D.C., from October 7 to 9.

Robertson will be the only Canadian mayor in attendance. Under his leadership, Vancouver has committed to a long-term goal of relying entirely on renewable energy.

The conference head is former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is the UN special envoy for cities and climate change.

Bloomberg has been one of the leading voices calling for the closure of carbon-spewing coal plants across the United States.

In a statement, Robertson said he's "honoured" to have been invited by Kerry and Bloomberg to speak at the event.

This important meeting at the State Department will build on our work as cities to call for robust action on climate change by national governments ahead of the COP 21 climate conference in Paris, while also sharing best practices on how cities like Vancouver can continue to show leadership," Robertson added. "It is very positive that Secretary Kerry and the U.S. government are joining many of the world's cities in taking on a proactive leadership role to confront climate change, and it has been disappointing not to see similar action at the national level here in Canada."

The conference website states that it aims to strengthen networks between U.S. and international cities and highlight "cutting-edge U.S. climate change efforts".