California Gov. Schwarzenegger Defines Modern Environmental Movement at Yale Climate Change Conference

04/18/2008 -- In front of an audience of governors and top state-level environment officials, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today delivered a public keynote address at the 2008 Conference of Governors on Climate Change at Yale University. With the centennial of President Theodore Roosevelt's landmark 1908 Conference of Governors as the backdrop, the Governor spoke about how the modern environmental movement must evolve if we are to meet the even greater challenges that lie ahead.

Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers keynote at Yale Climate Change Conference: Photo courtesy California Governor's office

"I believe the environmental movement is switching over from being powered by guilt to being powered by something much more positive, much more dynamic, and much more capable of bringing about revolutionary change," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

"In California, we're doing everything we can to change the balance of power on the environment. What we're doing is not waiting for Washington. We are applying leverage by setting tough environmental standards - like our laws to cut greenhouse gas emissions and transform renewable fuels - so at some point the whole environment movement shifts."

The Governor outlined how government can push environmental reforms, but it is American technology that will ultimately allow us to save the environment. California is at the forefront of this movement toward an "environmental economy" as a result of the state's environmental policies and focus on clean- and green-tech industries.

"I believe in American technology, and I believe that technology is what eventually will save the environment," Governor Schwarzenegger said.

In addition, several governors from across the nation joined Governor Schwarzenegger today in signing onto a climate change declaration highlighting the need for coordination between the federal government and states on climate change. Continuing to build these partnerships with other nations and states is critical to expanding clean tech markets and fighting global warming.

Gov. Schwarzenegger also met with Quebec Premier Jean Charest, who announced they are joining the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). Quebec marks the tenth partner to join the WCI. Numerous U.S. states, Mexican states and Canadian provinces are participating as observers. The WCI's goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

Governor Schwarzenegger has led California in establishing laws and policies to protect the environment while creating demand for innovative green technologies.

* Last October, California and a coalition of European Union countries, U.S. states, Canadian provinces, Norway and New Zealand formed the world's first International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) to develop solutions to global climate change. ICAP will provide an international forum in which governments adopting enforceable caps on greenhouse gas emissions will share experience and best practices on the design of emissions trading mechanisms. ICAP will help ensure trading mechanisms are compatible and work to boost demand for low-carbon products and services, promote innovation and reduce the cost of effective reductions to allow swift and ambitious cuts in global warming emissions.
* Last August, the Western Climate Initiative (WCI), of which California is a founding participant, announced a common goal to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, reflecting the cumulative total of individual reduction goals for each state and province. California originally signed on to the WCI with the Governors of Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington at the 2007 National Governor's Association winter meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 26, 2007. Utah, Montana and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia, and today Quebec have joined since that time.
* In February 2007, the Governor announced that the University of California Berkeley received a $500 million grant from BP to establish the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI). The University of California, Berkeley is a partner with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on this groundbreaking project. EBI is the first public-private research lab dedicated to renewable fuels and clean energy.
* In January 2007, the Governor announced the world's first Low Carbon Fuel Standard for transportation fuels that requires fuel providers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels sold in California. This first-of-its-kind standard firmly establishes sustainable demand for lower-carbon fuels without favoring one fuel over another. To start, the standard will reduce the carbon intensity of California's passenger vehicle fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020 and more thereafter.
* In September 2006, the Governor signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, California's landmark bill that established a first-in-the-world comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, quantifiable, cost-effective reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. The law will reduce carbon emissions in California to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Governor Schwarzenegger has also called for the state to reduce carbon emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.

Source: California Governor

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