The world’s beleaguered climate takes center stage in San Francisco on Wednesday as thousands of activists, scientists, business leaders, entertainers and politicians from more than 100 nations gather for a three-day summit on global warming. Here’s what you need to know: How did it come about? The Global Climate Action Summit, at Moscone Center South, was organized by Gov. Jerry Brown as a public rebuke of President Trump, who decided last year to drop out of the Paris climate agreement, a landmark deal ratified by 170 nations, including the United States under President Barack Obama. The United Nations was seeking to hold an international event to maintain momentum on climate action. It is the first time a state has sponsored an event in support of the Paris Agreement, which Trump bashed as a bad deal for the United States. What is the history between Brown and Trump on this issue? Brown has served as a leading foil to Trump on climate change. The bad blood between the two men boiled to the surface Tuesday when Brown blasted a White House proposal to weaken regulations of the heat-trapping gas methane. “That is insane,” Brown said at a climate discussion at the Palace Hotel in downtown San Francisco in advance of the summit. “It borders on criminality.” Is it personal? Not necessarily. Brown has advanced policies on global warming during his nearly eight years in office, well before Trump — who has called climate change a hoax — became president in January 2017. What is the summit’s main goal? To inspire a global commitment on regional and local levels to cut carbon emissions. The bottom-up effort is an attempt to fill the vacuum in climate action left by national governments, including the United States, that are coming up short on the emissions-reduction targets pledged in Paris. The progress of local and regional governments, as well as national governments, will continue to be assessed at future climate summits. The next is Dec. 3-14 in Katowice, Poland. Who will be there? Roughly 4,500 people. Among the biggest names are former Vice President Al Gore former U.S. Secretaries of State George Shultz and John Kerry and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Also, musician Dave Matthews, actor Harrison Ford, astronaut Mae Jemison, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and mayors and governors from across the nation, and policymakers from countries around the world, including China, Brazil and Germany. Meteorologists, hurricane and storm specialists, sustainable investment brokers, health care executives and business leaders will participate in panel discussions. No one from the Trump administration is expected to attend. What will summit attendees be doing? Representatives from cities, states and regional governments as well as businesses will share ideas on what can be done to reduce carbon emissions and setting goals for local action. Discussion will include construction of energy-efficient buildings, reduction of greenhouse-gas producing waste, investments in climate-friendly businesses, greening transportation infrastructure, and sequestration of carbon in forests and on farms. Can I go? Most of the panels during the summit, which ends Friday, are by invitation only and require accreditation. The public can view the panel discussions live on: YouTube at https://bit.ly/2wJFQRe Facebook at facebook.com/GlobalClimateActionSummit/ Twitter at https://twitter.com/gcas2018 But is there anything I can attend? Hundreds of affiliate panels, workshops, art exhibits and other special events sponsored by environmental groups, and academic and public agencies are scheduled in the Bay Area this week. The events open to the public include: Coal + Ice Photography Exhibition. More than 40 photographers and videographers highlight the consequences of fossil fuel use. Open daily through Sept. 23 at the Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., San Francisco. San Francisco Green Film Festival. Includes films about wildfires in California, vanishing islands in the Pacific, melting Arctic tundra and the receding forests of the Amazon. Showings are at various times through Sept. 14 at the Castro Theatre, 429 Castro St., San Francisco. California Carbon Fest 2018. The Carbon Institute has brought together an international team of specialists to discuss forest carbon sequestration and other climate change issues. Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sept. 13 at UC Berkeley’s Blue Oak Ranch Reserve, 16070 Mount Hamilton Road, San Jose. Find a calendar of affiliate events at https://bit.ly/2OczmBQ . How about protests? Thousands marched Saturday along Market Street , and hundreds of protesters on Monday demanded that local and indigenous protest representatives be heard. Others are planned. For example, Rise Against Climate Capitalism: Peaceful March & Mass Action is scheduled for 7 a.m., Thursday, Jessie Square, 736 Mission St. Why would someone protest the fight against climate change? Some environmentalists and justice groups are angry that Brown and others have not done enough to fight climate change in the face of increasing numbers of heat waves, drought and raging wildfires and other manifestations of global warming. — Peter Fimrite and Kurtis Alexander<doc-sep>Mayor London Breed called on cities around the world Wednesday to join San Francisco in making the fight against global warming a top priority as she welcomed delegates from six continents to the city for the Global Climate Action Summit. Her appeal, made at City Hall during a gathering of mayors from several nations, came on the first official day of the climate summit amid a renewed push for local communities to reduce heat-trapping pollution, particularly as national governments, including the United States, fall short of their emissions goals. One of the reports released in the run-up to the summit estimates that the actions of U.S. cities, states and businesses will help get the nation at least two-thirds of the way to the emission cuts that the country pledged in Paris three years ago, even as federal efforts wane. President Trump, who has called global warming a hoax, announced last year that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Agreement and abandon a handful of Obama-era climate policies. “Climate change is too important for us not to act,” Breed told her fellow mayors, who came from Paris, Pittsburgh, Copenhagen, Seville, Spain, and other spots. “We’re already seeing the impacts of global warming here in California and all over our planet.” Still, as cities like San Francisco make progress curbing greenhouse gases, local climate action is accomplishing only so much across the globe. Whether this bottom-up effort can make a real dent in slowing the planet’s warming remains to be seen. This week’s summit, which has brought more than 4,000 elected officials, business executives and environmentalists to San Francisco, along with such star power as actor Harrison Ford, musician Dave Matthews and chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall, seeks to build momentum at the community level for meeting the pledges laid out in the Paris Agreement. Under the pact, more than 170 nations have planned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to keep worldwide temperatures from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. That’s the point at which scientists expect dire consequences in the form of more drought, heat waves and rising seas. Most reports suggest that the world is already on pace to warm more than 3 degrees Celsius. As California reels from its worst wildfire season on record, political and corporate leaders converging on San Francisco this week have already begun making commitments to accelerate climate action. More than 80 U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose and Palo Alto, have pledged to get 100 percent of their electricity from clean, nonpolluting sources, though many don’t have timelines to do so. About a dozen cities are committing to electrifying their vehicle fleets. Nineteen cities have said they will make all new buildings run off renewable energy by 2030. Also this week, nearly 400 investors, from retirement systems to private capital groups with a combined $32 trillion in assets, said they would take steps to ensure their money was being put to sustainable, climate-friendly uses. The effort, dubbed the Investor Agenda, was launched Wednesday by nonprofit Ceres. A report this week by America’s Pledge, a coalition of U.S. cities, states and businesses that remain committed to the Paris goals, said the nation is now poised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, well more than half of the 26 to 28 percent cut the United States signed up for. The United States can improve its reduction to 21 percent, even with the federal government retreating, if the plans spelled out this week by sub-national leaders, and a handful of other initiatives, come to fruition, according to the report. With only slightly more effort, the reduction may reach 24 percent. “States, cities and businesses have the power to bring the nation to the brink of its ambitious target,” said Paul Bodnar, managing director of the Rocky Mountain Institute and a co-author of the report. A separate survey released this week found that 57 percent of cities in the United States plan to take action on global warming this year. The poll, conducted by the Unites States Conference of Mayors and the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, showed that 95 percent of the nation’s cities have been affected by climate change. San Francisco leads the way on climate action on most fronts. The city has set a 2045 goal of using 100 percent renewable energy, and in 2030, the city will require all new buildings to be net-zero carbon emitters. Already, San Francisco has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent over 1990 levels, the equivalent of taking more than 200,000 cars off the road, according to the city’s Department of the Environment. As emissions have dropped, San Francisco’s economy has still grown, by about 110 percent, while the population has risen about 20 percent, officials say. Interactive Vaccine Tracker: Latest developments Detailed information about the coronavirus vaccines as it becomes available. “We have shown that you can be a sustainable city while maintaining a thriving economy,” Breed told the crowd at City Hall. In an interview, the mayor said San Francisco stands as a model for the rest of the world, and hopes its efforts motivate not just communities concerned about climate change but those wanting economic success. She said she expects leaders at the summit to return to their home countries and “branch out” beyond those who are already persuaded by the need to address global warming. “We can’t be effective if it’s just us,” she said. But despite significant steps by San Francisco and other regional actors, bottom-up headway in reducing global warming remains relatively slight. While progress is being made in the U.S., a report released last month by researchers at Yale University and Germany’s NewClimate Institute projects that local action will plug just 10 percent of the worldwide gap in pledged Paris emissions cuts. The bleak picture, though, didn’t seem to sway any of the mayors at Wednesday’s event, which was sponsored by two coalitions pushing for climate action: C40 Cities and the Global Covenant of Mayors. “We know we can make a difference,” said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.<doc-sep>EMBED >More News Videos SKY7 shows some tense moments outside the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco where hundreds of protesters are gathering. At one point officers can be seen restraining someone during a confrontation. Actor Harry Hamlin is at the #GlobalClimateActionSummit pic.twitter.com/0kxyOKhguU — Lyanne Melendez (@LyanneMelendez) September 13, 2018 Protestors are blocking the entrance to the global climate action summit in San Francisco. One summit delegate told me he supports their right to protest but calls it “counter productive since we are all working for the same goal. “ pic.twitter.com/opK6bJFmlO — Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 13, 2018 Protestors at 3rd and Howard in San Francisco, calling on Gov. Jerry Brown to do more for the environment. pic.twitter.com/CJL9upsuVd — Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 13, 2018 Chanting happening right now in the middle of 3rd & Howard in San Francisco at Gov. Jerry Brown’s global climate action summit. pic.twitter.com/RHR2hbAKor — Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 13, 2018 Peaceful protest at 3rd and Howard, letting Gov. Jerry Brown know they don’t think he is doing enough to protect the environment. pic.twitter.com/M3gU8uM2Ct — Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 13, 2018 Vehicles on Howard headed toward 3rd are being diverted at Hawthorne because of protest, global climate action summit. pic.twitter.com/0MkF68dF27 — Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 13, 2018 Protestors at 3rd & Howard in San Francisco. They are demonstrating in front of Gov. Jerry Brown’s global climate action summit. Intersection Is shut down. pic.twitter.com/suBRmEzCfW — Amy Hollyfield (@amyhollyfield) September 13, 2018 SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Protesters used drums, dancing and chanting in the middle of Third Street in San Francisco to let Governor Jerry Brown know they think he needs to bring an end to the extraction and processing of fossil fuel in California. "We are calling on Jerry Brown to increase the protections on oil and gas and specifically to create setbacks which are protection zones around oil and gas wells of 2,500 feet," said organizer Cesar Aguirre.The protest is happening outside of Governor Brown's Global Climate Action Summit. The Governor organized the summit to gather leaders from around the world to discuss ways to fight climate change.But protesters aren't buying it.Jessica Montoya Trujillo of Santa Fe, New Mexico said "It's a horse and pony show, just a trade show to pull the curtain down on the truth and that's what we are here to do is speak truth. "The group was peaceful but did create some inconveniences. Traffic came to a halt around Moscone Center as protesters shut down Third Street between Mission and Folsom.There were also a few arrests as protesters blocked doors to the Moscone. Delegates also couldn't enter at Third and Howard because of the large group. "People should protest if they think they have the need to protest but I think it is counterproductive to stop us from getting in since we are all working on the same thing but- I agree with their right to protest," said summit delegate Tiy Chung.<doc-sep>SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Morning rush hour traffic came to a near halt in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood early Thursday as protesters representing a wide variety of environmental causes took to the city streets. Hundreds of scientists, business leaders and political leaders have gathered in San Francisco for the three-day Global Climate Action Summit hosted by California Gov. Jerry Brown. Also in the city were several different environmental groups who were demanding action on a range of issues including offshore oil drilling, timber harvesting and oil pipelines built across Native American lands. On Thursday, at least two of those groups chose to block streets and the entrance to Moscone Center — the site of the summit — turning the morning commute into a chaotic mess. Nearly 500 chanting protesters blocked the intersections of 3rd and Howard St. and 3rd and Folsom St. under the watchful eye of a contingent of San Francisco police officers. Many of critical of what they call Brown’s slow response to the threat of increase oil drilling in California. Inside the event, Brown and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were holding a news conference. “America’s a wonderful country,” Bloomberg said. “Here we got environmentalists protesting at an environmental conference. It reminds me of people who want to build a wall along the Mexican border to keep people out from a country that we go to for vacations. Something is crazy here.” Police made two arrests and escorted ten others from the building. Brown, meanwhile, took aim at President Donald Trump saying: “I think he’ll be remembered, on the path he’s now? I don’t know. Liar, criminal, fool.” He added big challenges were ahead to slow climate change. “We are getting it done, but we have a very tall mountain to climb,” he said. Bloomberg and Brown tried to stay on message during the summit by launching their “America’s Edge” campaign, which circumvents the U.S.’s decision to drop out of the Paris Climate Agreement. Protesters called the campaign “tone deaf” and called Brown a hypocrite. They said that big oil is Brown’s blind spot; a consumer watchdog report showed that Brown received $9.8 million in campaign contributions from energy companies. Brown didn’t deny the connection. “You know, politics runs on money, billions and billions of dollars. That’s just what it is. If you want to point to a specific contribution, I’d be glad to comment,” he said. Brown asserted that the production of crude oil in California is going down, which was confirmed by the Energy Information Administration. He maintained that California is leading the charge on climate change. “California has the most aggressive green energy plan in the western hemisphere. In fact, the more I keep answering this, the more I’m going to escalate my claim how how much we’re doing. We’re doing a hell of a lot, OK?” said Brown. When it came to the protesters claims, Brown said he has on a multi-facet global climate plan that includes more than just limits on oil production. “This is 10 points, 10 dimensions where we are looking. There is no one off here. There’s no one thing,” he said. “California with the leadership of our Air Resources Board has released a scoping plan that covers the whole range of emissions from oil to transportation to trucks to housing…So my plan is an integrated plan built up over time that is subject to review over time.” “Our goal is a 45 percent reduction in oil production as well as consumption,” he added. “We have the actual method of getting there.”<doc-sep>
Hundreds of demonstrators crowded the streets of downtown San Francisco on Thursday morning, banging drums and chanting as they called on local and world leaders at the Global Climate Action Summit to do more to address climate change and pollution. “We’re fighting for future generations,” said Dorthea Enrique, who traveled from Detroit to take part in the protest. “We want them to listen to our voices and protect us from corporate greed.” It was the third day of demonstrations this week. On Saturday, thousands had marched through the city for “climate, jobs and justice,” and Monday saw about 200 people, mainly indigenous groups, protesting Gov. Jerry Brown’s Climate and Forest Task Force. Thursday morning’s demonstration came on day two of the summit, which has drawn more than 4,000 elected officials, business executives and environmentalists from six continents to San Francisco for a three-day conference aimed at addressing carbon emissions and climate change. Demonstrators outside the conference’s main venue at the Moscone Center said they were frustrated that they could not participate in the discussions inside and wanted to make sure their voices were heard. Now Playing: Former Vice-President Al Gore, now an investor in green technologies and an avid environmentalist, appeared at the World Coal and Ice Forum, part of this week's Climate Summit in San Francisco. Video: KTVU In a call-and-response outside, they yelled: “What do we want? Climate justice!” Protesters crowded the intersection of Howard and Third streets outside the Moscone Center throughout the morning, forcing summit delegates to climb over barriers or go around the gathering. As the delegates walked past, one protester yelled out, “There’s more than just market-based solutions, folks! The market sucks, suit!” Another encouraged delegates to participate in the protest: “Join us! Join the community, not corporations!” They pointed out the irony in the plastic shrubbery that lined the sidewalks leading into a summit focused on the environment. Shortly after noon, a small group of delegates inside the summit stood up, chanted “Mother Earth is not for sale,” and unfurled a 16-foot banner while former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave a speech. Dawn Phillips, a representative of Right to the City Alliance and one of the protesters inside, said the group felt its message was received. The point of entering the summit as a delegate was twofold, Phillips said: “The ability to listen to what they’re saying, to arm ourselves. It was clearly also an opportunity to lift up our messaging.” Police and security removed the group from the summit and revoked its members’ badges. Officers also arrested two men during the protest outside. They were released after being cited for violations including trespassing and resisting a police officer. Many at the demonstration were indigenous people who traveled from around the country to the summit. They highlighted environmental issues beyond carbon emissions alone. Many said they want to protect the lands they live on from being destroyed by pollution. Jihan Gearon, a member of the Navajo Nation in Arizona, came with the Mesa Water Coalition to demand action. “We’re not OK with them trading and selling in pollution, and impacts to our communities,” she said. Brown organized this week’s summit to push back against the policies of President Trump, who last year pulled the United States out of the Paris climate agreement, a landmark deal ratified by 170 nations during President Barack Obama’s administration. Earlier this week, Brown signed into law a bill that sets a goal of 100 percent clean electricity for California by 2045. Many in Thursday’s group, though, were critical of Brown’s efforts, calling them “false solutions and climate capitalism.” As they marched Thursday, many protesters drummed on plastic buckets covered with pictures of Trump’s face. They were peaceful as they blocked off Mission Street near Third Street, flanked by dozens of police officers keeping an eye on the event. San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Sarah Ravani contributed to this report. Ashley McBride and Evan Sernoffsky are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: Ashley.McBride@sfchronicle.com, esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ashleynmcb @EvanSernoffsky