Newsom Champions State-Led Climate Leadership at COP30
At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, California Governor Gavin Newsom did not mince words. With the U.S. federal government sending no high-level officials to the summit, Newsom stepped into the vacuum — representing his state but speaking with global ambition. He cast the contrast clearly: “The United States of America is as dumb as we want to be on this topic, but the state of California is not,” he declared, underscoring his belief that clean energy is about economic power, not just electric power.
Newsom highlighted California’s bold policies — now running on two-thirds clean energy and extending its cap-and-invest programme to 2045 — to show what a state can do when national leadership fades. “This is not about electric power. This is about economic power … We in the state of California are not going to cede that race to China,” he said, pointing to global competition in clean-tech supply chains.
Newsom’s speech echoed a broader shift at this year’s COP: cities, states, and regional alliances stepping into roles once reserved for national governments. California, New York, and a network of more than 20 U.S. states — through the U.S. Climate Alliance and America Is All In coalition — continue to pursue decarbonisation targets even as federal momentum slows. These subnational players manage vast energy markets, regulate utilities, and shape the clean-tech industries driving U.S. growth.
Their efforts have real scale: together, U.S. states and cities representing over 70% of the country’s GDP have adopted clean-energy or net-zero goals. From expanding offshore wind on the Atlantic coast to building large-scale battery plants in the West, these initiatives are keeping the U.S. transition moving despite Washington’s retreat from the global stage.
In a forum dominated by climate-finance demands and forest-protection pledges, Newsom’s message was clear: while Washington dithers, local action is defining America’s climate credibility. His presence at COP30 signals a recalibration of U.S. climate leadership — from federal halls to state capitals — and raises a key question: if the national stage is silent, who picks up the baton for the energy transition?