14 November 2008: In a video message to the Second Annual
Sustainability Summit, organized by the Los Angeles Business Council on 14
November 2008, in Los Angeles, California, US, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
stressed the need to be “more creative” in our efforts to change the course of
the unfolding “carbon crunch” and climate change crisis.

The Summit gathered
business leaders, academics and elected officials, and was organized around the
theme “Building a Green Economy.” He urged seizing the opportunity to follow
the path of green growth, noting California’s contribution in shaping the green
economy.
He welcomed the state’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to
1990 levels by 2020, stating that it could create over 400,000 new jobs and
shows leadership towards “much-needed domestic legislation on climate change at
the federal level.” Ban underlined that, within the context of the global
financial crisis, we cannot afford not to invest in green growth.
He concluded
by stating his hope that California’s efforts would highlight the opportunities
generated by making a transition to a low carbon economy and “strengthen
international resolve” at the upcoming climate change conference in Poznan,
Poland, in December 2008. [The
Statement] [Summit
Website]