• Gov. Jerry Brown Jr., Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and British Columbia Premier Christy Clark issued the following statement on Nov. 18, the final day of the United Nations Climate Conference (COP22) in Marrakech, Morocco:
“Today, as COP22 comes to a close—two weeks after the Paris Agreement came into force—leaders from across the globe have renewed their commitment to climate action. In California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia—from the Mexican border to the edge of the Yukon Territory—we stand with the international community. Our success demonstrates that taking action on climate change goes hand-in-hand with robust job creation and a thriving clean energy economy.
“We know what’s at stake because we have seen the destruction firsthand—from year-round wildfires and historic drought to devastating sea-level rise. These impacts don’t respect borders or wait for the next election.
“Our resolve is strong. We will continue to take bold action to achieve the targets set in the Paris agreement. We will mobilize our resources and our people. We will join with other like-minded cities, states, and regions committed to action and lead this global fight.”
According to Brown’s office, California is playing a world-leading role in setting aggressive climate goals, broadening collaboration among subnational leaders, and taking action to reduce climate pollutants.
Last year, California and Baden-Württemberg, Germany, formed the Under2 Coalition—an international pact among cities, states, and countries to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, the level of potentially catastrophic consequences. With the addition of 29 new members recently following a signing ceremony at COP22, a total of 165 jurisdictions have joined the coalition representing more than a billion people and $25.7 trillion in combined gross domestic product—more than one-third of the global economy.
In September, California took bold action to advance its climate goals, establishing the most ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in North America and the nation’s toughest restrictions on destructive super pollutants, according to the governor’s press release. The governor also signed legislation that directs cap-and-trade funds to greenhouse gas reducing programs which benefit disadvantaged communities, support clean transportation, and protect natural ecosystems.
The impacts of climate change are already being felt in California and will disproportionately impact the state’s most vulnerable populations, the statement reads.
