Bay Area
San Francisco Named Host City for 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit
Asian Americans account for about a third of San Francisco’s total population, and San Francisco has Sister City relationships with cities throughout the region, including Osaka, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh, Manila, Sydney, and Shanghai. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the first in North America and one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia. Additionally, the city currently hosts over 75 consulates, representing the government interests of virtually all major countries around the world. Additionally, many trade commissions have established offices in and around the city.

The summit will be held at Moscone Center and is expected to draw thousands of attendees from around the world with an estimated $36.5 million in total economic impact
By S.F. Mayor’s Office
Mayor London N. Breed celebrated news that San Francisco has been named the host city for the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit, or APEC, in November of next year.
The announcement was made on Nov. 18 at APEC where Vice President Kamala Harris is attending the Summit in Bangkok, Thailand. San Francisco will welcome President Biden, various chiefs of states, heads of government, and other officials from around the world.
In a letter sent to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in August, Breed made the request for the City and County of San Francisco to host the 2023 APEC Leaders’ Summit. U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla also submitted letters in support of the City winning the bid to host the five-day event.
Breed highlighted San Francisco’s extensive economic, cultural and academic connections to the Asia-Pacific Region, including the City’s recognition as the gateway to the Asia Pacific, which has positioned San Francisco as the primary destination for foreign direct investment from Asia.
Established in 1989, APEC is an intergovernmental forum for 21-member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The countries that will be represented in next year’s APEC Leaders’ Summit include the United States, Canada, China, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand.
“We are honored to be named as next year’s host and ready to welcome leaders from around the world to our beautiful city,” said Breed. “I want to thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for selecting San Francisco to host next year, as well as Speaker Pelosi and Senators Feinstein and Padilla for their unwavering support in this process.”
“San Francisco has the infrastructure already in place to accommodate an event on the scale and scope of the APEC Leaders’ Summit,” said Breed. “Our economic recovery is ongoing, but our footprint is strong with over 34,000 hotel rooms, a newly renovated Moscone Center, iconic sites and cultural experiences, and a world-class culinary scene. This is an exciting opportunity for our City, its residents, workers, and visitors.”
“San Francisco has long been recognized as a gateway to the Asia-Pacific — and thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris, we are proud to host the Leaders’ Meeting of the 2023 APEC Summit,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. “With San Francisco’s deep economic, cultural and academic connections to the region, I was proud to join the chorus in advocating for our city as the perfect host for this critical gathering of Asia-Pacific leaders.”
Each year, the San Francisco Customs District logs $100 billion from two-way shipping with APEC members. Northern California firms sell an estimated $60 billion of goods and services to APEC buyers. The region continues to be a source and destination for massive investment flows.
“I’m thrilled that San Francisco was selected to host APEC next November. As one of the most significant cultural, commercial, and financial hubs in the United States, San Francisco is a great choice for a gathering of economic leaders from throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” stated Dominic Ng, chairman and CEO of East West Bank and President Biden’s appointee as 2023 Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) stated. “As ABAC Chair, I look forward to working closely with the Biden Administration, the State of California, and the City of San Francisco on a successful APEC in 2023.”
“As the nation’s shining gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, San Francisco and the Bay Area are the ideal choice to host this important leadership summit,” said Jim Wunderman, Bay Area Council President and CEO. “This selection represents a ringing endorsement of San Francisco as a place of unmatched global connections, dynamic economic activity and rich cultural vibrancy. I want to applaud San Francisco Mayor London Breed and her entire Administration for their great work in securing the APEC Summit.”
Asian Americans account for about a third of San Francisco’s total population, and San Francisco has Sister City relationships with cities throughout the region, including Osaka, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh, Manila, Sydney, and Shanghai. San Francisco’s Chinatown is the first in North America and one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia. Additionally, the city currently hosts over 75 consulates, representing the government interests of virtually all major countries around the world. Additionally, many trade commissions have established offices in and around the city.
San Francisco is a major destination for business and tourism and leads the world in technology innovation. The city has a long history as a top destination for travel, conferences and seminars. In October, Salesforce brought Dreamforce back to San Francisco in person, attracting more than 40,000 people. The APEC Leaders’ Summit is estimated to generate nearly $37 million in economic benefit to San Francisco.
“This is a big win for San Francisco,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president & CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association. “APEC will bring global attention to the city, as well as thousands of international visitors that will help support our economic recovery and the hundreds of small businesses that depend on visitor dollars.”
This month Travel and Leisure magazine featured San Francisco as one of the 50 best places to travel in 2023 and the Wall Street Journal named San Francisco International Airport (SFO) the best large airport of 2022 thanks in part to the upgrade of its Harvey Milk Terminal 1, reliable flights and top-notch amenities. Virtually every major APEC city has direct or one-stop flights to SFO.
The San Francisco Bay Area has hosted major events in the past including the United Conference of Mayors in 2015, Superbowl 50 in 2016, and the Global Climate Action Summit in 2019. The last time the U.S. hosted APEC was in 2011. Additional details about the 2023 APEC Leaders’ Summit are forthcoming and will be released at a later date.
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Bay Area
Chevron Richmond Installs Baker Hughes Flare.IQ, Real-time Flare Monitoring, Control and Reduction System
While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.

The Richmond Standard
Chevron Richmond recently installed flare.IQ, a real-time, automated system that will improve the facility’s flaring performance.
The technology, developed by Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business, uses sensors to monitor, reduce and control flaring in real time. It collects and assesses data on refinery processes, such as temperature, pressure, gas flow and gas composition, and adjusts accordingly to ensure flares burn more efficiently and cleanly, leading to fewer emissions.
“The cleaner the flare, the brighter the flame can look,” said Duy Nguyen, a Chevron Richmond flaring specialist. “If you see a brighter flame than usual on a flare, that actually means flare.IQ is operating as intended.”
While the sight of flaring can cause concern in the community, flares are essential safety systems that burn pollutants to prevent them from being released directly into the atmosphere. They activate during startup and shut-down of facility units or during upsets or equipment malfunctions. The typical flare stack is about 200 feet high so that vapors are well above street levels.
“A key element in Baker Hughes’ emissions abatement portfolio, flare.IQ has a proven track record in optimizing flare operations and significantly reducing emissions,” said Colin Hehir, vice president of Panametrics, a Baker Hughes business. “By partnering with Chevron Richmond, one of the first operators in North America to adopt flare.IQ, we are looking forward to enhancing the plant’s flaring operations.”
The installation of flare.IQ is part of a broader and ongoing effort by Chevron Richmond to improve flare performance, particularly in response to increased events after the new, more efficient hydrogen plant was brought online in 2019.
Since then, the company has invested $25 million — and counting — into flare minimization. As part of the effort, a multidisciplinary refinery team was formed to find and implement ways to improve operational reliability and ultimately reduce flaring. Operators and other employees involved in management of flares and flare gas recovery systems undergo new training.
“It is important to me that the community knows we are working hard to lower emissions and improve our flaring performance,” Nguyen said.
Also evolving is the process by which community members are notified of flaring incidents. The Community Warning System (CWS), operated by Contra Costa County is an “all-hazard” public warning system.
Residents can opt-in to receive alerts via text, e-mail and landline. The CWS was recently expanded to enable residents to receive notifications for “Level 1” incidents, which are considered informational as they do not require any community action.
For more information related to these topics, check out the resources included on the Chevron Richmond, CAER and Contra Costa Health websites. Residents are also encouraged to follow @chevronrichmond and @RFDCAOnline on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where additional information may be posted during an incident.
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