Edwards heading to Scotland this week for climate conference

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards and other Louisiana officials will travel Thursday to Scotland to attend an international climate change conference packed with world leaders.

The governor’s economic development and coastal policy advisors will be among the 11-member group heading to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow for the week-long trip, not counting the state troopers who travel as Edwards’ security detail.

Edwards will attend meetings from Oct. 31 through Nov. 4, before returning to Louisiana, according to his office. The Democratic governor had previously announced plans to attend the conference. His office Monday released more details about the travel dates and who will join the governor.

Edwards said he intends to promote Louisiana as a location for clean energy projects, in response to climate change.

“In Glasgow, we will have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, representing different governments, but also corporations and different sectors of the clean energy movement,” Edwards said in a statement.

“Make no mistake: an industry-wide transition to cleaner, less environmentally impactful energy production and utilization is going to happen regardless of if Louisiana participates, so it’s best that Louisiana be a leader in this space,” he said.

Even as he leads one of the nation’s top oil and gas producing states, Edwards has set a goal to cut Louisiana’s net greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. A climate change task force he created is working on a strategy document, due next year, for how to reach that goal.

Among those who will travel with Edwards to Scotland are Economic Development Secretary Don Pierson, Natural Resources Secretary Thomas Harris, the governor’s spokesperson Christina Stephens, other economic development officials, the head of Edwards’ climate task force and several members of the Governor’s Office of Coastal Activities.