San Francisco
CA
GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT
Moscone Center South in San Francisco, California.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 — FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2018
The Global Climate Action Summit will bring leaders and people together from around the world to “Take Ambition to the Next Level.” It will be a moment to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors and citizens with respect to climate action.
It will also be a launchpad for deeper worldwide commitments and accelerated action from countries—supported by all sectors of society—that can put the globe on track to prevent dangerous climate change and realize the historic Paris Agreement.
The decarbonization of the global economy is in sight. Transformational changes are happening across the world and across all sectors as a result of technological innovation, new and creative policies and political will at all levels.
States and regions, cities, businesses and investors are leading the charge on pushing down global emissions by 2020, setting the stage to reach net zero emissions by midcentury.
ATTENDING THE SUMMIT
People everywhere are encouraged to participate in the hundreds of affiliate events taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the world during the week of September 10-14th, including climate action panels, workshops, tours, exhibits and other special events. The full affiliate event schedule will be posted here this summer.
From September 12-14, you can virtually attend the Summit by streaming it live on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. In person, Summit attendance for the plenary and other high-level sessions is by invitation and will require accreditation. If you represent an organization ready to make a major climate commitment at the Summit, please send details about that proposed announcement by clicking here.
The Global Climate Action Summit is also committed to reducing the environmental impact of the Summit event itself. To see how the Summit looks to meet or exceed international sustainability standards for large events, please click here.
At the heart of the Paris Climate Change Agreement is the commitment by national governments to review their progress and rachet up the ambition of national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The Global Climate Action Summit, happening midway between Paris 2015 and 2020, is timed to provide the confidence to governments to ‘step up’ and trigger this next level of ambition sooner rather than later.
The momentum we generate this year must lead to bending the curve of emissions down by 2020—science advises us that this gives the world the best opportunity to prevent the worst effects of climate change. 2018 therefore must be the beginning of a new phase of action and ambition on climate change.
The Summit will underscore the urgency of the threat of climate change by mobilizing the voices and experience of real people, in real communities already facing real and stark threats. It will challenge and channel the energy and idealism of people everywhere to step up and overcome it.
At the Summit, international and local leaders from states, regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society—known as “non-party stakeholders/non-state actors”—will be joined by national government leaders, scientists, students, nonprofits and others in a new wave of mobilization.
They will be sharing what they have achieved to date and committing to doing more to usher in the era of decarbonization, greater levels of sustainability and prosperity for the many rather than the few.
These actors will also celebrate a range of new climate commitments under five key areas: Healthy Energy Systems, Inclusive Economic Growth, Sustainable Communities, Land and Ocean Stewardship and Transformative Climate Investments.
The confidence, enthusiasm and support generated by this wave of action now and through 2019, will embolden national governments leaders to trigger the necessary domestic processes ahead of 2020 while also triggering more states and regions, cities, businesses and investors to ‘step up’ further action themselves.
THE CO-CHAIRS
We’re running out of time. There’s been some backsliding since Paris, and our Summit on September 12, in San Francisco—our Global Climate Action Summit—aims to increase the commitments that have already been made in Paris, to make them even greater, and thereby build the momentum going into the conference of the parties at Poland.
JERRY BROWN Governor of California
I am delighted to be one of the co-chairs of the California Summit where we have an opportunity to move the needle further and faster towards the swift realization of the goals of the Paris Agreement.
PATRICIA ESPINOSA
Executive Secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
I am delighted to be one of the co-chairs of the Summit and look forward to continuing the momentum set in motion by the Paris Agreement.
ANAND MAHINDRA
Chair of the Mahindra Group
During this important period, the Summit will help mobilize the national, sub-national, business, and society as a whole to demonstrate their actions and determinations, which will not only advance the global climate governance process, but also push forward the global green and low-carbon transformations.
XIE ZHENHUA
Special Representative for Climate Change Affairs of China
I’m so honored and pleased to be invited as a Co-Chair of the Global Climate Action Summit. This a recognition of the transformative power of young people as equal partners in the fight against climate change. We must continue to support youth-led innovative climate solutions at scale and provide spaces for young people to lead climate action globally and on the ground, mobilizing communities in support of the Paris Agreement.
JAYATHMA WICKRAMANAYAKE
The United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth