Council Members Take Center Stage at Global Climate Summit

Gov. Jerry Brown convened leaders from around the world in San Francisco this week for the Global Climate Action Summit and many Bay Area Council members were major supporters and participants in the historic gathering. Council Chair and Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson served as a keynote speaker, talking about the important connection between community health and a changing climate. He spoke about Kaiser’s commitment to become carbon neutral by 2020 and the various actions the health giant is taking to meet that aggressive goal. He highlighted the imperative for public private partnership in tackling the challenge of climate change.

Council member Wells Fargo also played a prominent role in a variety of Summit events to showcase its $200 billion sustainable finance commitment and its progress in accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy through products and services, stakeholder engagement, sustainable business operations and strategic environmental philanthropy. PG&E hosted a series of meetings and events to highlight the importance of increasing California’s resilience to climate change, which is subjecting the state to harsher wildfire threats, longer droughts and more extreme storms. The Council’s work with the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge also was featured at the Summit and highlighted some of the innovative projects being developed to increase the region’s resilience to rising seas.

On Thursday, Gov. Brown joined legislators for the maiden voyage of a new and first-of-its-kind hybrid electric ferry boat that will be operated by Council member Red and White Fleet. Brown signed a package of bills aimed at helping California meet its global-leading carbon and greenhouse gas reduction targets. The Council has long advocated for incorporating clean propulsion vessels into Bay Area regional water transit systems.