by jbs122209 a3 — December 25, 2009 More than 60 ministers and regional leaders gathered December 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark at The Climate Group’s Climate Leaders’ Summit to unveil major new climate actions during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (“COP15”).
The Climate Group says it is up to the governments of the world’s cities, states and regions to implement most of the low-carbon technologies and policies necessary to curb global warming and deliver a fair ambitious and effective global deal on climate change.
Representatives of the assembled governments reported on a plethora of concrete measures they have implemented to curb climate change since the U.N. climate summit (COP14) in 2008 in Poznan, Poland. Highlights of the climate actions include:
- Sao Paulo state has passed a climate change law with an ambitious target to reduce emissions by 20 percent in 2020, and a carbon tax to fund C135 in clean investment by 2012;
- Ile-de-France has committed to cut CO2 emissions by 2.5 tons a year within 15 years. It plans to build 420,000 square kilometers of new photovoltaic panels, half of them in Paris, within a decade;
- The state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany is engaged in a program with multiple international partners to spread more efficient city lighting throughout the state;
- The state of South Australia is matching California’s ambitious target of generating 33 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020. The state also aims to purchase half of its power used in government buildings, schools, and hospitals from certified green energy sources, and will introduce a payroll tax rebate next July for new wind and large-scale solar power;
- The Maldives issued a climate survival kit, which it hopes will be a model for other nations with similar existential effects from climate change. The Maldives has committed to becoming carbon neutral in 10 years; and
- Scotland has set the target of reducing carbon emissions by 42 percent in 2020 and by 80 percent in 2020, while generating half its energy from renewable sources in 2020, and to get all its energy from green sources by 2030. It also aims to become a major developer of wave and ocean energy.
Also at COP15, California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was awarded The Climate Group and South Australia’s first annual Regional Leadership award. The governor issued a rousing call to action to 300 premiers, governors, ministers, business leaders, policymakers and NGOs from around the world. He called on them to act now and in concert, regardless of the outcome of the global negotiations.
