Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State and his Lagos State counterpart, Governor Babatunde Fashola as well as former Prime Minister of Britain are among 50 governors and leaders across the globe who signed a declaration on climate change in California, United States at the weekend.

 Online reports monitored yesterday showed that the declaration includes among others, committing to work together to pursue clean transportation and mobility, support national climate change legislation, include forests in climate policy development, acknowledge the need for adaptation efforts and recognize the role of subnational governments in the discussions on the next global climate agreement being negotiated in Copenhagen later in the year.

The declaration signed at the closing ceremony of the 2nd Governors’ Global Climate Summit in Los Angeles, California, was endorsed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California who was host of the event. 14 other governors from the USA also endorsed the declaration which was also signed by governors and senior ministers from Canada, Australia, Brazil, Denmark, England, France, Indonesia, Italy, Algeria, Philippines and Mexico as well as
United Nations officials.

The declaration reaffirmed and built upon the goals of last year’s Governors’ Global Climate Summit and it is an acknowledgement of the need for greater collaboration on climate change solutions and support the recognition of the role of sub-national governments in the fight against global warming. The global leaders also renewed their commitments to promote policies that reduce greenhouse gases and implement strategies to grow their green economies and the declaration helps set the stage for the upcoming negotiations in Copenhagen.

At the plenary and special sessions of the summit, Governor Uduaghan had canvassed increased global efforts on climate change and specifically called on multinational oil and gas companies operating in the Niger delta to adopt more environmentally friendly technologies in order to preserve the ecosystem of the region.

Governor Uduaghan joined other African leaders at the summit to specifically announce a new continent-wide effort, called “a New Green Deal for Africa” because the continent has the opportunity to implement low carbon development strategies from the beginning – to grow green from the start.

Governor Schwarzenegger had said “addressing the problems caused by climate change is the greatest environmental challenge of our time and at this summit we heard leaders and experts from around the globe discuss the innovative steps and strategies being championed in the fight against global warming.”

According to Amy Fraenkel, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Regional Office for North America, “the Governors’ Global Climate Summit clearly demonstrated the key role local and state governments can play in addressing climate change.

The summit also illustrated that action is needed at all levels - and in partnership with the private sector and civil society - if we are to move forward this defining issue of our time.”

On his part, Olav Kjorven, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and director of policy at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the summit confirmed that there are solutions to the climate challenge and regions are definitely a part of those solutions.

The following global leaders signed the declaration:

1. Governor Arnold  Schwarzenegger, California, USA;
2. Governor David Paterson, New York,  USA;
3. Governor Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, USA;
4. Governor Jennifer Granholm, Michigan, USA;
5. Governor Jodi Rell, Connecticut, USA;
6. Governor John Baldacci, Maine, USA;
7. Governor John P. de Jough Jr., U.S. Virgin Islands, USA;
8. Governor Mark Parkinson, Kansas, USA;
9. Governor Pat Quinn, Illinois, USA;
10. Governor Theodore (Ted) Kulongski, Oregon, USA;
11. Governor Tim Kaine, Virginia, USA;
12. Governor Bill Richardson, New Mexico, USA;
13. Governor Martin O'Malley, Maryland, USA;
14. Governor John Lynch, New Hampshire, USA;
15. Minister Rick Miles Department of the Environment, New Brunswick, Canada;
16. Premier Gary Doer, Manitoba, Canada;
17. Premier Jean Charest, Québec, Canada; Premier Danny Williams, Newfoundland and Labrador.