While President Bush convenes his own "climate summit," inviting delegates from the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters to discuss"aspirational" goals at the State Department, the third meeting of Clinton Global Initiative required real, concrete commitments of attendees.
Bush’s two-day climate meeting will emphasize creating more processes to find a solution to global warming, rather than setting firm goals for reducing carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for heating up the atmosphere. He "hopes" to come up with "aspirational" goals to limit emissions by the end of 2008.
In a poll released by The Associated Press and Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment, Americans gave the Bush Adminstration a dismal grade, with only one of five people polled satisfied with his leadership on the environment. Only about a fifth think the environment is in good or excellent shape, including 39% of Republicans. 10% think it is faring better than a decade ago or will improve a decade from now.
The Clinton Initiative meeting brings together over 1000 leaders of business, government and non-governmental organizations from over 70 countries including 52 current and former heads of state. It focuses on four areas: Education, Energy & Climate Change, Global Health and Poverty Alleviation.
Clinton invited Al Gore, his former vice president, to talk about climate change: "There should be no mistake that this crisis, the climate crisis, is not going to be solved only by personal action and business action. We need changes in laws, we need changes in policies, we need leadership, and we need a new treaty, we need a mandate at Bali, during the first 14 days of December this year, to complete a treaty, not by 2012, but by 2009, and put it completely into force by 2010. We can do it and we must do it."
Commitments for the environment include:
1Sky:
Working with partners 1Sky will raise $50 million to advocate for a simple set of goals and policy proposals to improve the federal government’s policies on climate change. All partners working in this coalition are committed to making the US government develop climate change targets that match those of the European Union. The EU is committed to reduce green house gas emissions by 20% compared to 1990 levels.
FPL Group, Inc.
The largest wind developer in the U.S., announced a $2.4 billion investment program to increase solar thermal energy output. It will invest $1.5 billion in 300 MW new solar thermal generating facilities in Florida and California over the next seven years, starting with a project at Florida Power & Light (FPL). It will invest $500 million to create a smart energy management network for its 4.5 million customers, enabling them to get feedback on energy consumption in real time, daily.
It will launch a nationwide consumer education program and new products with the goal of generating $400 million in renewable energy revenues over the first five years of the program. Consumers will be able to purchase products associated with Renewable Energy Credits (REC) generated by FPL Energy’s renewable energy facilities, reducing their own footprints.
The Coca-Cola Company
Targeting the State of Sao Paulo and working in conjunction with regional NGOs and local farmers, the Coca-Cola Company commits $13.5 million to a reforestation project along vital waterways in Brazil. The project aims to restore 3,000 hectares of tropical rainforest while providing local citizens with employment opportunities in environmental services. The project also aims to eliminate 30 million tons of CO2 over 30 years’ time.
The Wallace Global Fund
The Wallace Global Fund, together with Acción Ecológica, Amazon Watch, Earth Economics, the University of Maryland, the CS Mott Foundation, the Pachamama Alliance and the World Resources Institute are committed to supporting the visionary project of the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa to forego development of the Ishpingo Tambococha Tiputini (ITT) oil field, located below Yasuni National Park, the Amazon basin’s most biodiverse area of rainforest. By motivating the international community to match Ecuador’s commitment to leave nearly one billion barrels of oil in the ground, this commitment helps preserve one of the world’s natural treasures and prevent 436 million tons of carbon emissions.
Rainforest Alliance and Gibson Musical Instruments
The Rainforest Alliance will run a $480 million project over 5 years to support best practice in forestry management in 60 countries. Working with partners they will drive up the use of certified wood products in the paper supply chain and for use in musical instruments.
Make it Right Project
Brad Pitt is expanding his commitment to New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward with his "Make it Right" project to create a community of 150 affordable and sustainable homes in one of the areas hardest-hit by Hurricane Katrina. Pitt and his partner Steve Bing are challenging members of CGI to join them in rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward by each pledging to match $5 million in contributions to the Make it Right project.
Equator Environmental, LLC
Equator Environmental commits $100 million to establish a private equity fund investing in projects that are environmentally friendly, sustainable and directly preserve ecological assets. By monetizing these "eco-products" the fund will enhance the viability of the natural environment and showcase the importance of ecosystem preservation.
Green for All
Through the ground-breaking "Green for All" initiative, The Ella Barker Center for Human Rights is committing to help lead 250,000 Americans out of poverty and into green jobs. With the continued growth in the building, solar, urban forestry, and bio-fuels sectors, a highly-trained "green-collar" workforce is needed to meet rising demand. Green for All will advocate for a national commitment to greater job training, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities – especially for people from disadvantaged communities. This transition could boost the U.S. economy, generating new opportunities for wealth and work.
American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
With funding from Rockefeller Brothers Fund, ACORE is committing to advance a more robust policy and economic case for renewable energy solutions and amplifying influential voices to strengthen public understanding of climate change. The commitment will create RECAP-the Renewable Energy Communications and Policy program-a three-year campaign that will put forward critical policy and economic analysis on energy supply, environment and climate, economic development and jobs, and national security. This unique work builds on ACORE’s 2006 commitment to host a world meeting on renewable energy, which has now been successfully funded, and is scheduled to be held as the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) on March 4-6, 2008 in Washington, DC.
Individuals can now make their own commitments here: MyCommitment.org
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