Governor Schwarzenegger Opens Governors’ Global Climate Summit

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.