A Climate Institute Publication
The keynote speaker, Kristalina Georgieva, CEO of the World Bank group spoke regarding the economic value of going green. She spoke of the World Bank’s work in spreading renewable energy around the world, saying that some of the best work they’ve done is helping to start what is now a billion dollar solar power industry in China as well as an investment in India for Solar energy.
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Over 6000 people participated in the conference bringing together people from all corners of the world to work on something that connects us all. The conference ended on a positive note with people feeling optimistic about the potential, a more positive note for global environmental work after the United States, a country with high levels of pollution and environmental impact, recently withdrew from the Paris Agreement.
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Hawaii has also joined other states, Washington, California, Virginia and New York, that remain committed to the goals set in Paris. While the actions of one state alone may not make up for the effects that could be achieved as a nation, Governor Ige’s actions prove that regardless of our administration’s stance on climate change, Americans are still willing to do what it takes to combat the effects of climate change however they can.
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Former New York City Mayor and current UN cities and climate ambassador, Michael Bloomberg, committed $15 million from his charitable organization to support the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to make up for lost funding after President Trump’s announced the United States will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
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Macron then spoke of national security implications posed by climate change. “If we do nothing, our children will know a world of migrations, of wars, of shortage. A dangerous world.”
He concluded his statement by spinning a familiar phrase to provide a united and global purpose. “We are fully committed, because wherever we live, whoever we are, we all share the same responsibility: Make our planet great again.”
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Yes, actions will be needed to moderate the economic impacts on those such as coal miners and others whose back-breaking efforts have gotten our economy to its present state of development, but going back to out-dated approaches while all the rest of the world is rapidly moving to new approaches is simply not the path to “Make America Great Again.” The US needs to rely on its creativity and inventiveness to lead, not close our eyes to the opportunities the future provides.
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Scott Pruitt, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced Wednesday that the Obama-era methane emissions rule will be reconsidered, a regulation aimed at reducing the US’s impact on climate change by curbing oil and gas well emissions.
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In 2014, we said that it takes everyone to change the future of climate change. Now, with everything at stake, everyone has a part to play. The effort is being organized by the coalition formed out of 2014’s People’s Climate March, which brought over 400,000 people to the streets of New York City and many more around the world.
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Tom Steyer, president of NextGen Climate, said in a statement that Trump’s actions are “an assault on American values and they endanger the health, safety and prosperity of every American.” Concluding “Trump is deliberately destroying programs that create jobs and safeguards that protect our air and water, all for the sake of allowing corporate polluters to profit at our expense.”
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“The message they are sending to the rest of the world is that they don’t believe climate change is serious. It’s shocking to see such a degree of ignorance from the United States,” said Mario J. Molina, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist from Mexico who advises nations on climate change policy.
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