News
April 25, 2013: Release of "The Next Generation of Street Lighting: A Feasibility Study and Action Plan for Rio de Janeiro." The Action Plan outlines a blueprint for implementing LED street lights in Rio de Janeiro and makes recommendations for implemention, measuring its results, and communicating those results globally as a case study for this kind of municipal energy-efficient project. R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger presented the study to Marcos Belchior, Conservation Secretary for the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at a lunch event hosted by the Dom Cabral Foundation (R20 Partner).
To Download the Action Plan please click here (In English and Portuguese)..
January 31, 2013: The Vienna R20 Conference: R20 Founding Chair Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann, along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Industrial Development Program (UNIDO), the Assembly of European Regions (AER), the USC Schwarzenegger Institute, and the Nobel Sustainability Trust (NST), hosted this transformational, interactive conference.
"Implementing the Sustainable Energy Future" focused on practical and inspiring sub-national bottom up actions from around the globe to build strong sustainable economies and make clean, local sources of energy available to everyone.
To view videos of the key note speeches from the R20 Vienna Conference please click here.
For more information on the Vienna R20 Conference please visit the Conference website: www.R20vienna.org.
January 17, 2013: The R20 signed an MOU with the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to help Rio develop sustainable public lighting with partners the City of Rio, Rio Luz and the Lighting Science Group. Additional details coming soon.
In Photo: R20 Governing Board members and Staff, Lighting Science Group and
signing (front left) Gustavo Faria, Deputy Secretary, Conservation Agency (signing on behalf of the Secretary, Marcus Belchior)
and (front right) R20 President Ms. Michele Sabban.
January 7, 2013: R20 Governing Board Member Terry Tamminen's book "Cracking the Carbon Code: The Keys to Sustainble Profits in the New Economy" is publshed in China. The book (also published in English) provides practical steps to make almost any business more efficient, sustainable, and competitive in the global economy. To purchase the book in Chinese, please click here. For more information and/or to purchase Cracking the Carbon Code (English), please click here.
December 31, 2012: R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger and R20 Governing Board Member Terry Tamminen are the focus of an article in the Atlantic "Schwarzenegger Will Get Credit for Any Major U.S. Climate-Change Law". To read the article please click here.
December 19, 2012: R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger Receives Global Advocate of the Year Award from the UN Correspondents Association.
Governor Schewarzenegger received the Global Advocate of the Year Award for being a leader in protecting the environment and promoting clean energy while Governor through the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32), the Million Solar Roof initiative, Hydrogen Highway, world's first low carbon fuel standard and continued service to the environment as a private citizen through R20 and the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Governor Schwarzenegger dedicated this UN Award to all members and partners of the R20 who are dedicated to tak action to make it happen. Please click here to read the Program for the 2012 UNCA Awards.
To read the Politico article on Governor Schwarzenegger and the Award please click here.
To read the SF Gate article on Governor Schwarzenegger and the Award please click here.
R20 Founding Chair receives the UN Correspondence Association Global Advocate of the Year Award from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon
November 13, 2012 R20 Member Region California higlighted as a Pioneer in Cap and Trade.
R20 Governing Board Member Terry Tamminen, former Secretary of Cal EPA, is quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on the success of California's program. To read the article please click here.
November 2, 2012: R20 Hosts Workshop in Wuxi City, China as part of the Chinese Renewable Conference and Exhibition
Upon the request from Wuxi city government officials, R20 China hosted the International Climate Action with Renewable Technologies and Green Finance in China Workshop, in collaboration with the 4th Chinese Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition which was held November 1-3, 2012, at Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center. R20's President, Michele Sabban and R20's Executive Director, Dr. ChrIstophe Nutall both spoke at the event about the R20 and its role in developing renewable energy application world wide. Discussions focused on opportunities to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and clean technologies both in China and throughout the world. To read more about the conference please click here.
From left to right: Mr. Fengfeng WU, Secretary General of the Wuxi Municipal People's Government; Ms. Michele Sabban, President of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), Vice President of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France, President of R20 Regions of Climate Action; Mr. Kejiang ZHU, Wuxi Mayor; Mr. Jinzhan WANG, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT); Ms. Lixin HUANG, a member of the Jiangsu Provincial Party Standing Committee and Secretary of the Wuxi Municipal Party Committee; Mr. Yubo SHI, Vice Minister and Vice Chairman of. State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC), China; Mr. Jianguo WEI, Former Vice-Minister of Ministry of Commerce, China; Mr. Qin HUANG, Deputy Mayor of Wuxi, China; Ms. Ruojun ZHOU, Ministry of Commerce in Nanjing correspondent
October 30, 2012: R20 Strategic Advisor Terry Tamminen and R20 Executive Director Christophe Nuttall participate in the Future Cleantech Forum, in Geneva, Switzerland
The Forum was held to provide a global meeting platform for furthering the debate around strategy and future development of cleantech and renewable energy, with a target of 700 participants at the conference and up to 50 companies showcasing new technologies. To learn more about the Forum please click here.
R20 Strategic Advisor Terry Tamminen (far left) talks clean energy with fellow panelists at the Future CleanTech Forum.
October 22, 2012 The R20 and Nobel Sustainability Trust announce their partnership
In recognition of their mutual interest in promoting sustainable energy development and low-carbon technologies, the R20 Regions for Climate Action and the Nobel Sustainability Trust formally announce their partnership to work together towards developing a green economy and in support of climate change mitigation efforts worldwide. More specifically, the R20–Nobel Sustainability Trust partnership will focus on:
-initiating conferences, workshops and publications related to the green economy and access to sustainable energy in order to share experiences, competencies and networks within the domain of renewable energy and environmental solutions;
-entifying and designing sustainable energy pilot projects between the R20 sub-national members, clean technology providers, and financial partners;
-Creating a Green Pre feasibility Facility.
According to Gustaf Nobel, Chairman of the Nobel Sustainability Trust, "We are very enthusiastic about this partnership with the R20, and are committed to working together towards a global green economy made up of low carbon societies that are socially inclusive, innovative and resource efficient." On his side, Christophe Nuttall, Executive Director of R20 believes that R20 and NST, through synergy can significantly contribute to the required clean economy paradigm shift
To learn more about the work of Nobel Sustainability Trust: http://nobelsustainability.org/
October 19, 2012: Forbes Magazine Article on R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger and the R20. Please click here to read the full article.
October 11, 2012: R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger Presented the Sustainia Award to off-grid solar innovation
In front of an audience of more than a 1,000 people at the Royal Theater in Copenhagen, Denmark, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced the winner of Sustainia Award, a new global award honoring innovative, sustainable solutions and ideas. Please click here to read the Press Release on the Award and Sustainia.
October 9, 2012: The Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership and R20 sign a partnership agreement in Boston
The Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership (GSEP), a non-profit international organization composed of the top world leading electricity companies whose mission is to promote sustainable energy development, and R20, a non-profit coalition of partners founded by former Governor of California (USA), Arnold Schwarzenegger and led by regional governments that works to promote low-carbon and climate resilient economic development projects, policies, and best practices, signed today a partnership agreement to join efforts towards fostering the global use of renewable energy through concrete actions.
The signed R20-GSEP agreement represents a first step in a joint collaboration that will turn into specific and concrete actions in the months to come.
Fostering sustainable development that takes into account economic and social development, as well as environmental protection and concerns over climate change, requires an unprecedented level of cooperation and collaboration. The UN Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative calls on governments, the private sector and civil society to help expanding energy access for those who have not any or very poor electricity supply, improve efficiency and increase the use of renewables.
The signing of this agreement strengthens the capacity of both organizations to deliver practical results through strong sub-national action-oriented programs that will seriously contribute to meet objectives of the UN Energy for All initiative. This agreement is a step towards the right direction.
July 11, 2012: Article on the R20 and the R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Christian Science Monitor "Schwarzenegger still a man of (environmental) action." Please click here to read the article.
June 19, 2012: Subnational Climate Reporting Program Announced
At the World Summit of Regions, the Carbon Disclosure Project, the R20, and The Climate Group announced that they will work together to design and develop a climate change reporting program for state and regional governments.
While many subnational governments have begun to measure their greenhouse gas emissions, few are using the same metrics to measure or compare their results. The significant progress that subnational governments have made in recent years has not been aggregated, analyzed or assessed within the greater global context. As a result, there is a need for subnational governments worldwide to report their basic GHG emissions and climate actions in an increasingly standardized way so that their collective results can be quantified and considered in the context of our global GHG emission reduction targets.
State and regional governments play a significant role in managing climate change activities within their jurisdictions – both through the specific actions they take, as well as the policies they design and implement. United Nations Development Programme research has suggested that 50-80% of the actions to reduce such emissions take place at the sub-national level. Therefore there is a clear need for, and benefit attached to, creating a subnational reporting program that governments can use to consistently benchmark, monitor and report their climate actions.
CDP, the R20 and The Climate Group will work together to design and develop an annual reporting program based on CDP’s existing platform. Both the R20 and TCG will work directly with their government members to encourage them to participate annually. CDP will design the questionnaire in collaboration with TCG and R20 and manage the online reporting system that supports annual disclosure.
Nine state and regional governments from around the world have expressed their interest in participating. Pilot Regions include:
• Basque Country, Spain
• British Columbia, Canada
• California, USA
• Catalonia, Spain
• Chiapas, Mexico
• North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• Quebec, Canada
• Sao Paulo, Brazil
• South Australia, Australia
CDP, the R20 and The Climate Group seek additional partners to join and fund this effort. Corporations, grant-making foundations, and multi-lateral agencies who are interested in worldwide action to reduce emissions should contact Jill Gravender, R20-USA Director, jill@regions20.org
April 26, 2012: R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks to the BBC about the future of green energy and sustainability. Please click here to view the interview.
March 7-8, 2012: R20 hosted several important events in Geneva, Switzerland, including the R20 General Assembly.
These events the Road to Rio: Building the Green Economy conference; public conference at the University of Geneva: Climate and the Economy - New Alliances and New Challenges and the Annual R20 General Assembly Meeting. To view articles related to these events including remarks by R20 Founding Chair Schwarzengger please refer to the links below:
Schwarzenegger flexes green muscles in Geneva (3/9/12 - Swissinfo.ch)
Arnold Schwarzenegger launches virtual "sustainable world" project (3/7/12 - The Guardian)
Green car fan Arnie urges stronger push for low emissions (3/8/12 - The Baltimore Sun)
Geneva auto show opens to public with Schwarzenegger in attendance (3/8/12 - The Detroit News)
"Schwarzie" adore la Suisse et ses montres (3/7/12 - 20 Minutes Online)
"Moins de discours, plus d'action" (3/7/12 - Le Temps)
Environnement: Arnold Schwarzenegger inaugure le R20 a Geneve (3/7/12 - Romandie)
Shwarzy, ambassadeur de taille (3/7/12 - One FM)
Arnie-Alarm an der Uni Genf (3/8/12 - Blick)
Schwarzenegger wirbt in Genf fur grune Energie (Tages-Anzeiger - 3/8/12)
L'ecologie, c'est sexy. Il faut le dire! (Tribune de Geneve - 3/7/12)
February, 2012: R20 sent a delegation to Delhi, India in early February to participate in the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit.
The delegation included R20 Board members and staff, R20 partners, Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger and R20 Strategic Advisor Terry Tamminen. Mr. Schwarzenegger and Mr. Tamminen participated in several events including a panel on subnational action. To watch the panel on subnational action, co-moderated by Dr. R.K. Pachauri and Terry Tamminen, with a keynote from Mr. Schwarzenegger please click here. To read details on the events in Delhi please click here.
January, 2012: R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger welcomes Mr. Christophe Nuttall as R20's new Executive Director.
Read R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger's message regarding Christophe Nuttall and a message from Mr. Christophe Nuttall in the R20 January Newsletter. Click here to access the newsletter.
January 12, 2012: R20 and Global Cool Cities Alliance launch the Cool Roofs and Pavements Toolkit.
On January 12, 2012 in colaboration with R20 partner the Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA), the Cool Roofs and Pavements Toolkit was launched to help cities, regions, organizations, and building owners develop and deploy successful cool surface initiatives. The Toolkit, available for download is an online resource that GCCA and R20 will build over time with targeted tools for a range of audiences. The documents are designed to be helpful to cool surface novices and experienced cool program managers alike.
News Archives (2011)
Please click on the following link to read the LA Times article "Arnold Schwarzenegger urges candidates to champion green energy" (Dec. 5, 2011).
Please click on the following link to view R20 Founding Chair Arnold Schwarzenegger's keynote speech at the UN Private Sector Forum, September 20 2011.