BEVERLY HILLS—More than 800 attendees from over 50 states, provinces, and countries, attended the Governors’ Global Climate Summit, hosted by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on November 18 and 19, 2008, to address regional and global climate change.  According to the press release for the Governors' Global Climate Summit, attendees included, “ 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.”

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger hosts the Governors' Global Summit Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel (Photo courtesy of Governors' Global Climate Summit website)

The purpose of the Summit is for collaboration and cooperation of all regions in addressing and combating global climate change, and helps fulfill the requirements of California’s global warming law, AB32.  According to the press release, “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.” 

Following Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s opening remarks in the Beverly Hilton Hotel’s International Ballroom, a pre-recorded message from President-Elect Barack Obama was shown where he spoke about his support of decisive action to global climate change, and his plan for establishing annual targets to reduce emissions.  Obama asserted, “Once I take office you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change.  Now’s the time to confront this challenge once and for all.  Delay is no longer an option.  Denial is no longer an acceptable response.  The stakes are too high.  The consequences too serious. Stopping climate change won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight.  But I promise you this: when I am President, any governor who’s willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House, any company that’s willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington, and any nation that’s willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America.”

As stated on the agenda of the Governors’ Global Climate Summit, the first day of the Summit concluded with the Signing Ceremony to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation (REDD), an agreement among the United States with states of Indonesia and Brazil to promote REDD programs.  The final day of the Summit concluded with the signing of the Summit Declaration, a comprehensive global climate change agreement, by governors and premieres. 

University of California Television showed a live webcast of the Governors’ Global Climate Summit, and videos from the Summit are available on the UCTV website at http://www.uctv.tv/climate/.  Further information about the Governor’s Global Climate Summit is available at http://site.governorsglobalclimatesummit.org/.