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World leaders attending the G-8 summit are making slow progress on plans to fight climate change, but the issue is gaining in political prominence locally. Climate and energy topped the agenda of a discussion at the State Capitol today.
Governments around the world are scrambling to figure out how to deal with the high costs of energy, both in dollars and in impacts on the environment. Another sign of that came today as Gov. Jon Huntsman played host to an official from the British government.
Not far from the murals of pioneer settlers and a statue in honor of "Science and Technology," the governor met with Britain's minister of public diplomacy. Topping the agenda was an issue that promises to take plenty of pioneering of new technology to solve: the world's climate and energy crisis.
"He's really on top of the fact that Utah, under his leadership, can play a pivotal role in the United States, but in turn, by the United States playing a global role on climate change across the whole of the world," said Jim Murphy, minister of public diplomacy for the United Kingdom.
So far, that's not been a top priority for the Bush administration, but it will likely get plenty of attention from the next president.
Meanwhile, Utah is planning ahead with a climate initiative among western states and Canadian provinces.
"First of all, leadership. That can come at any level. It has to ultimately come at all levels, but if it isn't coming from Washington, which it isn't right now, the ability to have leadership from the West, and leadership from Utah, is essential," said Dianne Nielson, Gov. Huntsman's energy advisor.
Sarah Wright, with Utah Clean Energy, said, "It is a perfect storm for energy and climate. We have high prices, we have catastrophes across the nation that many are saying are the result of climate change, and we have finite resources."
In the long run, it will mean finding ways to reign in carbon emissions from coal and a dramatically ramped-up investment in renewable energy -- both of which require advanced planning from government leaders.
"[Gov. Huntsman's] really on top of this. He has a great ambition to put Utah at the center of this transformation in the economy of the United States, and I was very, very impressed," Murphy said.
Look to hear more from Gov. Huntsman on this issue in the coming months. He heads up the Western Governor's Association this year, and the group is expected to unveil its plans for addressing this issue. Those plans will include greater investment in conservation and renewable energy, among other things.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
