World leaders in climate action convened this week for the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit. The Climate Science Alliance was proud to join this landmark event in recommitting to the global emissions trajectory set during the Paris Accords.
“Traditional hawaiian navigators make two important decisions on their oceanic journeys, one at sunrise and one at sunset. They must ask themselves, ‘Where are we now and where are we going?’” This powerful statement, spoken by President Nainoa Thompson of the Polynesian Voyaging Society during the Ocean-Climate Challenge Session, perfectly epitomizes the very spirit of the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit.
The Climate Science Alliance joined world leaders and delegates from all sectors of society - government, industry, finance, education, and more - as they made their way to San Francisco, California this week to join climate champion Governor Jerry Brown in renewing commitments to the historical 2015 Paris Climate Agreements. The primary focus of the Summit was to take stock of where we stand as a global community on our journey to lowering our collective impact on the planet by 2020. The challenge for accelerated actions towards this ever-looming deadline was at the forefront of the conversation.
The Summit highlighted five, high-level dialogues on topics of healthy energy systems, inclusive economic growth, sustainable communities, land and ocean stewardship, and transformative climate investment. Prominent climate advocates such as former Vice President Al Gore, renowned scientist Dr. Jane Goodall, and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg discussed the current state of the planet and outlined the path we must now take to build a more sustainable and resilient future. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy put forth a striking call to action, “The folks here at this conference today have never mattered more, we are here to change the course of history.”
As the sun sets on the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit, we have done our due diligence to evaluate where we are - what has worked, what has not, and what needs to change. The Alliance was proud to be a part of this global conversation and more importantly, part of the future solutions in our community and beyond. Though there are many decisions and challenges yet to overcome, thanks to the ambitious climate commitments and action plans made this week by climate leaders and global citizens, when the sunrises tomorrow - together we know where we are going.