A contingent of about 20 Loyola Marymount University students attended the second Governors’ Global Climate Summit, held in Los Angeles on Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. They attended panel discussions and learned from experts about a new focus in the environmental movement — the “subnational approach.”  The summit, hosted by the governors of six states, drew representatives from many states and from more than 50 countries.

Aram Nadjarian, an organizer of the summit and a 2006 graduate of LMU, said the highlight of the gathering was the pledge by the assembly to implement the subnational approach to effecting changes in environmental policies.

The subnational approach involves the state and local levels of government. It is largely those levels of lawmaking, speakers told the gathering, that have pushed energy efficiency, low-emissions technology, sustainable agriculture, forestry and transportation. These innovations have often become part of national programs for environmental action.

“The summit went exceptionally well,” said Nadjarian, a special adviser to the secretary of California’s Environmental Protection Agency and a director of special projects for the governor’s office. “There were more than 50 countries represented, and the joint declaration that was signed will be shared at the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December.” The meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, is a follow-up to the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations’ primary effort to combat climate change.

The aim of the Governors’ Global Climate Summit was to expand the network of subnational cooperation, strengthen existing partnerships, demonstrate how the subnational approach can be effective and establish links with nontraditional partners. The summit was hosted by six governors: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California; Gov. M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut; Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan; Gov. David Paterson of New York; Governor Ted Kulongoski of Oregon; Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin; and Gov. Chris Gregoire of Washington.