SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- A major international summit on climate action concluded here Friday as delegates called on national governments to join forces and step up climate actions ahead of 2020.
The summit, which lasted three days, brought more than 4,000 representatives from governments, businesses, organizations and academia to 25 sessions and 325 affiliate events.
"This week, cities, states, businesses and non-profits stepped up and took strong action at the Global Climate Action Summit. Now it's time to take this momentum back home. Climate change waits for nobody. Let's get to work," said California Governor Jerry Brown.
Summit participants unveiled a range of bold commitments across five challenge areas amid at taking their collective ambition to the next level. The five areas are healthy energy system, inclusive economic growth, sustainable communities, land and ocean stewardship, and transformative climate investments.
At the Summit, 21 companies announced the Step Up Declaration, a new alliance dedicated to harnessing the power of emerging technologies and the fourth industrial revolution to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all economic sectors and ensure a climate turning point by 2020.
Over 70 big cities, home to some 425 million citizens, are now committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, including Accra, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Mexico City.
Delegates also issued a Call to Global Climate Action.
"Now is the time for all leaders to step up and take bold action. Climate change is a threat to all humanity, and it can only be solved by a global cooperative effort," it said.
Patricia Espinosa, co-chair of the summit and executive secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the summit and its Call to Action make an important contribution towards achieving the collective goal underlined in the Paris Agreement -- to limit the global temperatures increase within only 1.5 degrees Celsius.
"It will encourage governments worldwide to step up their actions, demonstrating the vital role that states and regions, companies, investors, and civil society are playing to tackle climate change," she said.
