While Washington retreats from global leadership, California is building partnerships that deliver real-world solutions. Recent examples include:

• Brazil (2025 MOU): Partnering to advance market-based carbon pricing programs, clean transportation expansion, including zero-emission vehicles and low-carbon fuels, and strengthening air quality management through enhanced monitoring and regulatory controls. The partnership also focuses on the conservation of 30% of lands and coastal waters by 2030, including nature-based solutions and biodiversity protection.

• Denmark (2025 MOU): California and Denmark are jointly tackling the challenge of data-center decarbonization, designing faster and cleaner grid interconnection pathways. Denmark’s experience with offshore wind and grid flexibility is informing California’s new CalFUSE framework to help consumers use clean power when it’s most available.

• Kenya (2025 MOU): California and Kenya formed a historic partnership to cut pollution and boost trade. The partnership advances medium- and long-term low-carbon development and national climate plans, including policy research, development, and innovation in sustainable land use and urban planning that reduces long commutes and urban sprawl, while promoting integrated land use and transportation systems.

• Noord-Holland (2024 LOI): California and Noord-Holland are advancing next-generation air mobility—from drones to zero-emission aircraft. Joint innovation missions are producing pilot projects that inform California’s Advanced Air Mobility Implementation Plan and readiness for major global events.

• Australia (2023 MOU): Australia’s first-ever vehicle emissions standards were developed in partnership with input from the California Air Resources Board. The California Public Utilities Commission and the California Independent System Operator have also advised Australia on electricity-market reform, helping align incentives for renewable energy.

• British Columbia (2023 MOU): Mutual wildfire assistance is delivering results. British Columbia sent incident management experts to support California’s Palisades Fire in 2025, while CAL FIRE deployed personnel during B.C.’s 2025 fire season. These exchanges established a lasting framework for cross-border wildfire support.

• China (2023 MOUs): California signed five MOUs with China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu, and the municipalities of Beijing, and Shanghai to advance cooperation cutting greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and developing clean energy.

• Denmark (2021 MOU): Collaboration on groundwater mapping, leak detection, and water efficiency has modernized California’s data systems and informed key state programs, like the Airborne Electromagnetic Survey. Danish technologies and expertise have helped strengthen drought and water-supply resilience statewide.

• Mexico (Baja California & Sonora MOUs): Partnerships with the Mexican states of Baja California and Sonora are delivering results across zero-emission freight corridors, clean ports, and battery manufacturing. This partnership is strengthening North American supply chains and workforce readiness. Joint forums have already produced new research collaborations and training programs advancing clean-tech deployment.

California’s climate leadership

Pollution is down and the economy is up. Greenhouse gas emissions in California are down 21% since 2000 — even as the state’s GDP increased 81% in that same time period, all while becoming the world’s fourth largest economy.

California also continues to set clean energy records. In 2023, the state was powered by two-thirds clean energy, the largest economy in the world to achieve this level. California has also run on 100% clean electricity for part of the day almost every day this year.

Since the beginning of the Newsom Administration, battery storage has surged to over 15,000 megawatts — a 1,944%+ increase, and over 30,000 megawatts of new resources have been added to the electric grid. California now has 30 percent of the storage capacity estimated to be needed by 2045 to reach 100 percent clean electricity.

California at COP30

COP30 is an annual global meeting where world leaders, scientists, non-governmental organizations, and civil society leaders gather to discuss actions to tackle climate change. Hosted in Belém, Brazil, this year’s conference marks ten years since the Paris Agreement and emphasizes moving from ambition to action. California’s leadership, as both a founder of the Under2 Coalition and co-chair of national climate alliances, exemplifies how states and regions are driving progress where national governments fall short.

California’s delegation includes the Governor, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, California Public Utilities Commission President Alice Reynolds, California Air Resources Board Chair Lauren Sanchez, and Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari.