Governors plan to cut emissions
2008-11-20 11:09
Beverly Hills - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, his counterparts in 12 states and regional leaders from four other countries signed a declaration on Wednesday pledging to work together to combat global warming, a move Schwarzenegger said will help push heads of state to curb their nations' greenhouse gas emissions.
The document was signed on the last day of an international climate summit organised by the California governor, who hopes the two-day event will inform UN negotiations in Poland next month on a new global climate treaty that is to be completed by the end of next year.
"We have to draw people into the debate," Schwarzenegger said during an interview on Wednesday with The Associated Press. "We have no choice. In the end, we are going to destroy the world" if greenhouse gases are not reduced.
Policy positions
The governors and regional leaders in Mexico, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia agreed in the document to develop policy positions on the industries that produce the most greenhouse gases - forestry, agriculture, cement, iron, aluminium, energy and transportation.
Those reports will then be forwarded to the United Nations. The chairperson of a state pollution control board in India also signed the declaration.
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat and one of four other governors co-hosting the summit, said it is incumbent on states to cut emissions because of the lack of action so far at the federal level.
Republican Governor Charlie Crist of Florida and Democratic Governors Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin are the other co-hosts of Schwarzenegger's conference, titled the Governors' Global Climate Summit.
Credits
Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has advocated strict reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, said he organised the gathering to show local governments in other countries that emissions can be cut without harming the economy.
Since taking office in 2003, he has entered into partnerships with the governors of seven Western states and four Canadian provinces in an effort to help polluting industries buy credits from other companies that have been able to reduce their emissions.
In a speech to the conference on Wednesday, Schwarzenegger said national economies will be harmed if governments fail to cut emissions.
"We can do it with fairness and equity so all our economies will flourish ... and no one is being held back," Schwarzenegger said.
- AP