Hawaii Gov. David Ige to participate in Glasgow climate conference

Gov. David Ige is slated to participate in about 10 events over six days at the United Nations Climate Change conference in Glasgow starting Saturday, including panel discussions about net-zero emission ambitions and state and federal partnerships.

The goal of the conference is to push participating nations toward serious emission reductions by 2030, to “reach net zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century” and cap the earth’s temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to the COP26 program for participants.

Ige leaves Wednesday and is scheduled to speak Saturday at the “Mobilizing Global State and Regional Leadership on Net Zero Ambition.” His last speaking engagement before returning to Hawaii will be a Nov. 11 event discussing how “cities and regions enable the just transition to 1.5-degree living.” Ige will appear on the panel with regional leaders from the U.S., Chile, Morocco and Finland.

Ige also will participate in an interview with Amy Holm, executive director of The Climate Registry. The Climate Registry is a a nonprofit that helps clients reduce emissions.

Ige joins world leaders, including President Joe Biden, at the conference that started Oct. 31. A news release issued by Ige’s office said the governor will join heads of state, climate experts and others for “perhaps the most consequential climate conference since the adoption of the Paris Agreement.” It added, “COP26 will focus on accelerating progress toward achieving the goals set in the Paris Agreement.”

Ige will share the state’s progress with the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, the state’s mandate to use 100% renewable energy by 2045.