Gwen is speaker at governor's climate summit in Cali

CEBU, Philippines – Governor Gwen Garcia was one of the speakers and the only Filipino invited to the Governors' Local Climate Summit at the University of California, in Davis, Southern California, last Monday.

More than 1,500 representatives from more than 80 states, provinces and countries attended the summit with the theme of "Building the Green Economy" as one of the largest gatherings of regional leaders from around the world with a focus on climate solutions.

Also present in the said summit were Secretary Linda Adams of the California Environmental Protection Agency, who Garcia said came to Cebu to extend the invitation. She said that Adams recognized the efforts made by the government in protecting the environment.

Garcia said that she met a lot of participants who were also heads of their own companies on renewable energies and conversion of waste into energy.

California and other leading states and provinces from around the world launched the R20 at the Summit. R20 (Regions of Climate Action) is the new global organization that would break through the negotiations impasse and lead in the climate challenge through concrete actions at the sub-national level.

R20 is aimed at developing and implementing low-carbon and climate resilient projects through cooperation between developed and developing country sub-national governments.

She said that the people in the summit were impressed with the reforestation project of Cebu Province and praised the involvement of the students in the said project wherein the teachers are the ones who monitor the growth of the plants or trees planted by the students.

The said program by the Provincial Capitol was started in January 2005, participating students have planted over four million growing trees since.

Also speakers in the summit were Deepak Chopra, author and physician; Harrison Ford, actor and environmentalist; Charles Philip Arthur George, the Prince of Wales; Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and many others. (FREEMAN)