Gov. Jerry Brown will convene “Climate Summit” in San Francisco

Gov. Jerry Brown will convene “Climate Summit” in San Francisco

As President Donald Trump continues his second international trip this week, it appears G20 climate change proponents are faltering at their attempts to isolate him after the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord.

“Huge efforts are underway now to make sure as many countries as possible hold the line and compensate for America’s withdrawal by redoubling their efforts. How far this goes, I have my doubts,” said Dennis Snower, president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a leading German think tank advising the European Commission ahead of the summit meeting.

“It doesn’t look good,” Mr. Snower said. “It does not look like we are going to have 19 countries and the United States against.”

While the President is away, California Governor Jerry Brown has taken it upon himself to resurrect the accord. He plans to convene a climate conference next year, his latest action to position the state as a leader in battling global warming.

Gov. Jerry Brown of California on Thursday reinforced his reputation as America’s de facto leader on climate change, announcing to cheering crowds in Hamburg, Germany that his state would gather leaders from around the world for a global warming summit next year.

Speaking by video conference to the Global Citizens Festival in Hamburg, where President Donald Trump is joining other world leaders for the Group of 20 economic summit, Governor Brown said the president “doesn’t speak for the rest of America” in pulling out of the Paris agreement on climate change.

“Look, it’s up to you and it’s up to me and tens of millions of other people to get it together to roll back the forces of carbonization and join together to combat the existential threat of climate change. That is why we’re having the Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, September 2018,” Governor Brown told the crowd.

“Yes, I know President Trump is trying to get out of the Paris agreement, but he doesn’t speak for the rest of America,” he said.

A full list of attendees hasn’t been released, and there is no indication that any foreign presidents or prime ministers plan to attend. But there will be bands!

This action is clearly part of Brown’s attempt to legacy build before he is term-limited out of the highest political office he is apt to achieve.

Yet, back in Sacramento, Brown is struggling to reauthorize California’s cap-and-trade program, the cornerstone of the state’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

Brown’s lawyers say extending cap and trade, which generates $2 billion a year, requires a two-thirds vote in the Legislature. Democrats hold two-thirds majorities in both houses. But after voting for a $5.2 billion-a-year increase in gasoline taxes and vehicle fees in April to pay for road repairs, Democrats aren’t anxious to approve another measure that would raise pump prices again.

Part of the problem for Brown is that the cap-and-trade program is not working as advertised.

February’s quarterly auction of carbon dioxide emission allowances under California’s cap and trade program was another financial washout for the state.

Results for last week’s auction were posted Wednesday morning, revealing that just 16.5 percent of the 74.8 million metric tons of emission allowances were sold at the floor price of $13.57 per ton.

Despite the negative impact of forcing Californians to comply with regulations based on bad science and worse economics, Brown will likely persist…on acting as if he is the President of the Left Coast.

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