COUNCIL HOSTS GLOBAL CLEAN ENERGY MINISTERIAL
They’ll always have Paris, but San Francisco is where the world’s top energy ministers really got down to business this week in developing plans for achieving the ambitious clean energy goals set down in the City of Light last December. Tapped by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Bay Area Council served as a lead host and chief organizer of the Clean Energy Ministerial 7 (CEM7), which from June 1-2 convened energy ministers from the world’s top 23 economies and the European Union along with business, government and academic leaders for a series of intensive meetings and talks on implementing the COP21 climate change accords.
Visit the CEM7 website for details>>
San Francisco and the larger Bay Area were the obvious choice to host the first U.S. gathering of the CEM group, and U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz throughout the two-day summit repeatedly emphasized the importance of the region as a global innovation leader in developing the clean technologies that the world needs to meet the Paris goals. Some of those technologies were featured in a massive exhibition that the Council, working with CleanTech Open and the California Clean Energy Fund, organized in Union Square — the first such showcase ever to be displayed at a CEM conference. The Council also organized a series of compelling tours and site visits for business and government leaders to Bay Area companies and research institutions, including Google and Tesla, to learn about the technologies they are developing.
The conference also served as a perfect fit for Governor Jerry Brown as he convened an inaugural meeting of state, city and provincial leaders from around the world to highlight regional clean energy and climate action and collaboration. The Governor joined his counterparts from Oregon and Washington, the Prime Minister of British Columbia, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and mayors of other major cities in signing an agreement pledging to work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To engage in the Council’s energy policy work, please contact Senior Vice President Michael Cunningham at mcunningham@bayareacouncil.org.
