As global leaders gather this week for the UN’s annual climate conference (COP), speculation swirls about the potential impact of former President Donald Trump’s reelection on U.S. climate policy. For California’s elected officials, the news brings a familiar sense of deja vu: with Trump returning to office, he is expected to withdraw the U.S. from international climate commitments again.
California Governor Gavin Newsom decided to skip the COP, signaling that he would instead focus on domestic initiatives to shield California’s climate policies from potential federal rollbacks.
California has long played an outsized role at COP conferences, even without formal negotiating power. Newsom’s predecessor, Governor Jerry Brown, made a splash in 2017 by launching the “Under2 Coalition,” a group of subnational governments dedicated to keeping global temperatures from rising more than 2°C. However, this year, California's delegation will be leaner than usual, due to fewer attendance slots, logistical challenges in Azerbaijan, and the controversial selection of a former oil executive to lead the conference.
California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia will attend. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and other officials have opted out, citing the host nation’s human rights issues.