Flasbarth welcomed the intensified cooperation. “California and Germany have stood side by side for years when it comes to understanding climate protection as a necessary driver of innovation,” explained the State Secretary for the Environment. “We want to show together that progress, innovation and climate protection go hand in hand.”
The agreement builds on a long-standing collaboration between Germany and California, which began in 2016 with a declaration of intent. According to the Federal Environment Ministry, the in-depth cooperation includes the expansion of renewable energies, the promotion of green technologies and the exchange of adaptation strategies to climate change through nature-based solutions and sustainable water management.
Newsom traveled to the COP30 in Belém, Brazil, as probably the most important US politician and criticized US President Donald Trump. He called Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement after his second term began in January an “abomination.” If his Democratic Party wins the next US presidential election, Newsom announced that the United States would immediately return to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Newsom has been portraying himself as the anti-Trump for months. The 58-year-old is considered a possible candidate for the Democrats’ presidential candidacy in 2028. The governor also sharply distances himself from Trump when it comes to climate policy: California – the most populous state in the USA – should become climate neutral by 2045, i.e. not emit more greenhouse gases than it can compensate for.
