California Leadership at COP30: Newsom Challenges Trump's Climate Retreat and Affirms State-Level Climate Action

Newsom declared that a future Democratic administration would rejoin the Paris Agreement "without hesitation."

As President Donald Trump skipped the United Nations climate summit in the Amazon, California Governor Gavin Newsom took center stage Tuesday, launching a fierce critique of his political rival's fossil fuel agenda.

The polished Democratic governor, widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, criticized Trump for withdrawing from the Paris climate accord twice and for "doubling down on stupid" through his continued support of oil companies.

"It's a moral commitment, it's an economic imperative," Newsom stated when responding to AFP's question in Belem, the Brazilian Amazon city hosting the COP30 climate summit.

He added, "It is an abomination that he has twice, not once, pulled away from the accords."

Trump, who returned to office in January, withdrew the United States from the landmark Paris agreement for a second time—having first done so during his initial term—and has repeatedly dismissed the concept of human-caused climate change as a "con job."

Newsom began his day alongside Para Governor Helder Barbalho, where he highlighted California's environmental achievements between sampling tropical fruits and acai juice. He emphasized that California, the world's fourth-largest economy, now derives two-thirds of its power from renewable sources.

The California governor proceeded to engage in numerous meetings and press events with officials from Germany's Baden-Wurttemberg state, Brazil's Minister for Indigenous Peoples, and the Brazilian COP30 president, consistently followed by media groups typically reserved for national leaders.

Despite his prominent presence, regional leaders like Newsom face limitations at COP30, which commenced Monday with urgent appeals to maintain climate action momentum. They have no formal role in official negotiations.

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, also attending Tuesday's events, acknowledged these constraints, saying, "Certainly our meetings with leaders at the UN and others was to demonstrate that we're interested in any possibility that does more about that direct negotiation and representation."

She explained that her purpose in attending was to demonstrate that "when the federal government leans in, we do more, and when they lean out, we do more. It's both."

Christiana Figueres, a key architect of the Paris agreement, suggested the summit benefited from the absence of Trump's administration, noting that while the United States might work behind the scenes with oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia, "they can not take the floor" to directly pressure other countries.

Even without formal negotiating authority, U.S. states and cities wield significant influence.

Recent analysis from the University of Maryland indicates that if these governmental entities intensify their efforts—and a climate-focused president wins in 2028—U.S. emissions could decrease by more than 50 percent by 2035, approaching the 61-66 percent reduction targeted by the Biden administration.

"The president can't throw a switch and turn everything off—that's not how our system works," Nate Hultman, who led the report, told AFP.

The market-driven transition to green energy remains influential even in climate-resistant states like Texas, which led the nation in renewable energy generation last year, added Hultman, a former advisor to Democratic administrations.

Nevertheless, questions remain about the limitations of state-level action without federal support. Trump's Republican allies recently passed legislation ending clean energy tax credits prematurely, potentially delivering a devastating blow to the renewable sector.

Beyond advocating for increased domestic drilling and declaring opposition to green energy, Trump's administration recently undermined international efforts to implement a carbon tax on shipping by threatening retaliation against countries supporting the initiative.

Newsom urged nations to remain steadfast against further intimidation, emphasizing it was crucial to remember that "Trump is temporary" and that "you stand up to a bully."