Espinosa, Bloomberg, others to co-chair Global Climate Action Summit

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. of California on Wednesday announced that Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Patricia Espinosa, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael Bloomberg and Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra will co-chair the Global Climate Action Summit from September 12 to 14, 2018 in San Francisco, California.
“If we all work together, humanity can rise to the existential threat of climate change,” said Governor Brown. “Three really strong leaders – Patricia Espinosa, Anand Mahindra and Michael Bloomberg – have the imagination and the will to build this summit into a worldwide movement of people taking action to curb climate change.”
“I am delighted to be one of the co-chairs of the California Summit where, next year, we have an opportunity to move the needle further and faster towards the swift realization of the goals of the Paris Agreement. Together I believe Governor Brown, Anand Mahindra, Michael Bloomberg and myself can bring together the necessary worlds of sub-national governments, business and international policy- making to ensure the Summit delivers on its ambition,” said Espinosa.
“Cities, states and businesses are leading the way on climate change because they understand the economic and health benefits of action,” said Bloomberg. “After President Trump announced U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, we created a new effort – “America’s Pledge” – to keep our nation on track to uphold our commitment. The Global Climate Action Summit in California next year is a great opportunity to find new ways for governments and businesses to work together toward that goal.”
“There is a remarkable congruity between the goals of the Indian Government, Governor Jerry Brown and businesses like the Mahindra Group. India is driven by a strong belief at the highest political level that pursuing environmental stability is the only way to go. As a result, India has set extremely ambitious targets in the area of renewable resources and is actually ahead of schedule in meeting some of these. Governor Brown, of course, has always been passionate and ahead of the curve on all matters environmental. And in my business, we are driven by the belief that sustainability is a business opportunity as well as a way to make work meaningful for our young Millennials. So, from all angles, I am delighted to be one of the co-chairs of the California Climate Summit and look forward to continuing the momentum set in motion by the Paris Agreement,” said Mahindra.
While national governments negotiated the Paris Agreement, its goal – to limit the increase in global temperature to under 2 degrees Celsius – can only be achieved if subnational state and local leaders, businesses, scientists, students, nonprofits, and others step up. The Summit, bringing together people from all walks of life, will showcase the surge of climate action around the world – and make the case that even more must be done.
The Summit will also help strengthen the push for greater emissions reduction targets at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 24th Conference of the Parties (COP 24) in December 2018. At COP 24, leaders will begin to set goals for the 5-year period that starts in 2020. A groundswell of climate action from the Summit will show that national leaders can, and must, further decarbonize the economy.
Governor Brown also announced the leadership of the Summit Steering Committee, which he will co-chair with former UNFCCC Executive Secretary and Global Ambassador for the Under2 Coalition Christiana Figueres. The Committee, which will support the Summit by advising on the agenda and mobilizing their constituencies before and during the Summit, is represented by: The Climate Group CEO Helen Clarkson; BSR President and CEO Aron Cramer, representing the We Mean Business Coalition; Climate Action Network International Executive Director Wael Hmaidan; Ceres President and CEO Mindy Lubber, representing the Investors on Climate Change Coalition; WWF International Climate and Energy Practice Leader and former President of COP 20 Manuel Pulgar-Vidal; and C40 Executive Director Mark Watts, with support by Mission 2020, an initiative led by Figueres.
“Climate change is the major opportunity we have to modernize our transport, our energy generation and efficiency, to become more energy independent, to clean our air, to improve land-use, to create jobs, and to have more liveable cities. The 2018 Global Climate Action Summit is everyone’s chance to step up and be part of this fantastic, exponential growth story. Congratulations to the summit co-chairs, who will be critical to ensuring that the Summit delivers bold new commitments from across the globe that put us firmly on track to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and net zero emissions being achieved by 2050. Let’s leave no-one behind,” said Figueres.
Governor Brown announced the Summit at the Global Citizen Festival in Hamburg, Germany in July. The Summit will be the first time a U.S. state convenes people from around the world to support the Paris Agreement.
In June, Governor Brown was named Special Advisor for States and Regions ahead of this year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP 23) by Fiji’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama – incoming president of COP 23. This followed meetings with China’s President Xi Jinping during the Governor’s week-long trip to China and with Germany’s top environmental official, Minister Barbara Hendricks, in San Francisco.
Governor Brown continues to build strong coalitions of partners committed to curbing carbon pollution in both the United States through the U.S. Climate Alliance and around the globe with the Under2 Coalition. The Governor also launched America’s Pledge on climate change with Michael Bloomberg earlier this year to help compile and quantify the actions of states, cities and businesses in the United States to drive down their greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
In November, Governor Brown will take part in a number of international events in Europe focused on fighting global warming, including a climate symposium organized by the Vatican and this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 23) in Bonn, Germany.