California Governor Gavin Newsom positioned his state as a global leader on climate policy at the COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil on Tuesday, sharply criticizing the federal government’s approach under President Donald Trump.
“The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic, but the state of California is not,” Newsom declared to delegates. “And so we are going to assert ourselves, we’re going to lean in, and we are going to compete in this space.”
Newsom, one of Trump’s most outspoken political opponents and a potential 2028 presidential contender, highlighted California’s commitment to green technology and renewable energy. The state, with the world’s fourth-largest economy, has seven times more renewable energy jobs than fossil fuel positions and is home to electric vehicle pioneer Tesla.
At an investors’ summit in São Paulo earlier in the week, Newsom described the absence of federal climate leadership as “jaw-dropping,” noting that U.S. inaction risks ceding the booming clean energy market to China. “China is flooding the zone and will dominate in the next great global industry,” he said.
Despite the tropical heat, Newsom emphasized a nonpartisan approach, pointing to climate initiatives under Republican California presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. “We can’t do this without all of you,” he told COP30 attendees. “We’re here with an open hand, not a closed fist.”
The governor is expected to meet with officials from multiple nations, as well as subnational leaders, including the governor of Brazil’s Pará state, the summit’s host region. With Washington absent from COP30 and Trump continuing to dismiss climate science as a “hoax,” California is stepping forward as a surrogate for U.S. climate diplomacy on the world stage.
Read more: COP30 Leaders Summit Puts Sustainable Fuels And Carbon Markets In Focus
