11/18/2008 GAAS:787:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version |
Governor Schwarzenegger Opens Governors’ Global Climate Summit
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In Los Angeles today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
welcomes more than 800 attendees from more than 50 states, provinces and
countries to the Governors' Global Climate Summit. Following the Governor's
remarks, a pre-recorded video message will air from President-Elect Barack
Obama on global warming and supporting the states that have taken decisive
action to address this urgent issue.
The Governors' Summit brings together U.S. and international
leaders to develop cooperative partnerships and promote collaborative actions
needed to combat climate change. This forum also provides an opportunity for
states and provinces to partner to reduce emissions, to grow their green
economies and to influence the position their national governments take in the
next global agreement on climate change.
The
U.S. governors co-hosting and who will be in attendance at the summit are
Florida Governor Charlie Crist, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, Kansas
Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
"When
California passed its global warming law two years ago, we were out there on an
island, so we started forming partnerships everywhere we could," Governor
Schwarzenegger said. "We teamed up with Great Britain, the Canadian provinces,
the Western and Northeastern states and with states like those of my co
hosts-Illinois, Florida, Kansas, Wisconsin and more. And right here, for the
first time, we have officials from China, India, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and
across the world in the same summit, working toward the same goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and growing green economies in our own backyards."
"Florida's rapid progress has been possible only
through partnership agreements with the United Kingdom and Germany, and with
the help of my good friend, Governor Schwarzenegger," Florida Governor Charlie
Crist said. "Progress comes only as we work together-not at the expense of
future economic growth-but as a necessity for the future prosperity of all
nations and states."
"This Summit is an opportunity to strengthen important
relationships with business and government officials nationally and
internationally and develop climate change strategies that will save us money,
create jobs, help secure our world and improve our air and water," Wisconsin
Governor Doyle said.
"There is an incredible opportunity here to get our nation's
economy back on track by creating green jobs and becoming a world leader in the
development of clean energy technologies," Kansas Governor Kathleen
Sebelius said. "In Kansas, our farms and fields can produce tomorrow's energy
through biofuels and clean, renewable wind. Rural America is going to play an
important part in securing energy independence for our nation."
"Illinois has been a leader in the Midwest and nationally in
developing innovative strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause
climate change," Illinois Governor Blagojevich said. "Playing a leading
role in the Governors' Summit will give us a chance to meet with world leaders
and to learn from each other about how to most effectively tackle this urgent
global issue and accelerate the transition to a low carbon society."
The Summit emphasizes a "sectoral" approach to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions with sector-specific breakout sessions focusing on
specific actions in the following industries: forestry; cement, iron, steel and
aluminum; energy; and transportation. Together, these sectors account for the
vast majority of global greenhouse gas emissions. This approach is considered a
promising mechanism to support the actions of developing nations with technical
and financial assistance from developed nations.
With representatives from the world's biggest greenhouse gas
emitters, this Governors' Summit provides an important forum to discuss
solutions to meeting our mutual environmental goals while creating an economic
advantage for states, provinces and nations that take early and aggressive
action.
Showcasing the economic success of
California's environmental leadership, the Governors' Summit will
feature more than 30 clean-tech companies displaying
innovative green technologies including electric cars, solar-powered
flashlights and non-toxic cleaning products during the two-day Climate
Solutions Showcase.
The following organizations are
partnering with the Governors' Summit to make this collaborative opportunity
possible: the Aga Khan Development Network, which is working to improve living
conditions in the developing world through social and economic development,
environment and culture; Climate Works; the RBF Foundation; the Sea Change
Foundation; the Energy Foundation; the New America Foundation; Pacific Gas and
Electric Company; the Pisces Foundation; BP America; Conoco Phillips; the
Emmett Center on Climate Change and the Environment/UCLA School of Law; FPL
Energy; EcoSecurities; the Tremaine Foundation; APX; Applied Materials;
SunPower; Fireman's Fund/Allianz Group; The Goldman Fund; Greenhouse Gas
Services; Malcolm Pirnie; Mitsui & Co. (USA), Inc.; United Airlines
and the University of California.
To ensure that the Summit leaves no carbon footprint,
EcoSecurities is donating voluntary carbon offsets from its portfolio to
neutralize 100 percent of the emissions associated with the event. The offsets being
used are high quality voluntary emission reduction credits, selected to honor
visiting country representatives, as well as highlight the first two
agricultural methane projects listed by the California Climate Action Registry.
Visiting representatives will participate from more than 50
states, provinces and nations at the Governors' Summit, including leaders from
the U.S., Canada, Mexico, China, United Nations, European Union, Indonesia,
Brazil and United Kingdom. The Summit brings together state and provincial
leaders, national leaders, scientists, and representatives from business,
academia and non-government organizations to forge productive partnerships to
advance mutual goals.
This Summit helps fulfill the requirements of the state's
global warming law, AB 32, to coordinate and collaborate with international
governments to ensure compatibility, promote maximum environmental protection
and promote economic stability. In addition, the proposed Scoping Plan, the
state's blueprint to meet AB 32 reduction goals, addresses international
efforts to encourage the spread of clean, low carbon technologies outside
California.
University
of California Television will offer a live webcast and subsequent archival
video and podcasts of all events in the International Ballroom at http://www.uctv.tv/climate/. Several million people from around the world have been
invited to watch the Governors' Summit live.
For more information, go to www.governorsglobalclimatesummit.org.
