Meeting the Climate Challenge

This year’s San Francisco Chamber of Commerce CitySummit began the task of tackling the critical issues associated with the climate challenge and exploring the opportunities for San Francisco’s entrepreneurial and innovative businesses to take the lead in finding solutions.

As public policymakers, business leaders and consumers confront high oil prices, concerns about carbon emissions and global warming and uncertainty about the security of supply, the climate challenge has become a central issue of how we choose to shape the future.

What we do in San Francisco can be a model for other regions. Just as San Francisco Bay Area companies led the innovation that created the digital boom, the creativity, talent and expertise of our local businesses have the potential to give birth to whole new industries.

While it may appear that San Francisco, alone, is too small to make much of a global impact, as a model city in a model state, we can have an impact much greater than our size and relatively small population would suggest.

That’s why we gathered together some of the best thinkers and doers in the public and private sectors to share information about what needs to be done, what is being done – by state and local government and by businesses – and where we go from here.

Setting an Example and Leading the Way

The Chamber was an early and strong supporter of AB 32 because we recognized the potential for innovative business practices and new technologies to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If this landmark legislation is implemented with the requirements of business in mind, California has a tremendous potential to lead the nation as a model for reducing global warming while stimulating and preserving California's competitive edge for business growth.

Businesses at every level can participate in adopting practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Educating businesses, employees and our communities will require leadership and positive actions, and sharing of best practices and lessons learned.

Advocating for legislation that can both contribute to a healthier climate and sustain business development will require continued dialogue and collaboration among businesses statewide.

The Chamber is committed to partnering with public and private agencies to move forward business-led initiatives to make a positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

WE INVITE YOU TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE.

SF City Summit remarks

Climate Action Plan for San Francisco

PG&E’s Climate Smart Program

10 Things You Can Do to Motivate Employees on Climate Change

10 Tips for Purchasing Carbon Offsets

Emissions Trading

Serving the Climate-Conscious Consumer

Investing in Green

Clean Tech Venture Capital: How Public Policy has Stimulated Private Investment

Safeway’s Environmental Initiatives

Global Climate Change

Sustainable Hospitality