Heavy security in anticipation of Climate Summit in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The pledge to reduce carbon emissions around the world will officially be made Thursday and San Francisco is set to make history as the city that re-energized the movement.
All eyes are on this city as the Global Climate Action Summit kicks off with representatives from around the world.
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This is not your ordinary summit. Security outside Moscone Center is already tight with metal barriers in place. The Climate Action Summit promises to have ambitious goals that will try to secure America's and the world's low carbon future.
"What we are doing here in San Francisco is recreating that impulse and momentum for the next big lift," said Nick Nuttall, spokesperson for the Global Climate Action Summit.
On Wednesday afternoon, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco hosted an event called "Wonder and Commitment," a ceremony to show its support for the summit. Meanwhile, protesters gathered outside to make sure that, included in those talks was a dialogue to stop oil drilling operations and gas production in California, something Governor Jerry Brown has refused to do.
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"He's done a lot in the past but we need him to do even more," said Greenpeace Director Jennifer Morgan, who flew in from Amsterdam to attend the summit.
"We're all seeing and feeling the impacts, whether it be the fires in California or the hurricanes that are coming... so we need more ambition," expressed Morgan.
The numbers are promising. A report put out by "America's Pledge on Climate" points out that between 2005 and 2015, the country's economy grew by 15 percent yet greenhouse gas emissions declined by 11.5 percent.
Still, the organizers of this summit say more needs to be done to reverse the effects of global warming.
"You can look at all kinds of interesting ways and come to the conclusion that there is a mobilization in a certain direction of travel to combat climate change," said Nuttall.
