As part of the Institute’s continuing partnerships with global leaders and consul generals based in California the Institute was pleased to host a delegation of Austrian journalists and business leaders during their April visit to our state. In May 2016 the Institute attended a European Union consul general meeting, hosted by Polish Consul General Mariusz Brymora, to discuss advancing partnerships in the area of clean energy, environment, and climate change. The Institute was also proud to host Andra Rupprechter, the Austrian Minster Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, in September 2015 to discuss COP 21 in Paris. That conversation led to Governor Schwarzenegger's addressing the COP 21 General Assembly as both a son of Austria and a citizen of the United States.
The delegation that visited in April was, led by Trade Commission Richard Thaler, and was interested in exploring ways they could work with the Institute and California to advance trade, economic and job growth that could be beneficial to both regions.
Institute staff members Conyers Davis and Mebus Behrle as well as Institute Student Fellow Chadd Dunn met with the delegation and discussed trade and job growth but also discussed how California’s clean energy and environmental policies have contributed to job growth, with California outpacing GDP growth in the U.S. The delegation was particularly interested in learning that Governor Schwarzenegger will be going to Vienna in June to join Austrian President Van der Bellen and Austrian Chancellor Kern, as well as environmental leaders from around the globe, for the inaugural Austrian World Summit climate change conference hosted by the R20 in partnership with the USC Schwarzenegger Institute. Following the meeting the Institute connected delegation members to the Summit organizers.
The Institute looks forward to continuing our global collaborations at the Vienna Summit and beyond.