Overview
- With the White House skipping COP30 in Belém, Gavin Newsom emerged as the most visible American official at the summit and cast California as a dependable climate partner.
- California signed voluntary cooperation agreements with Chile on methane reduction, with Colombia on forests and clean energy, with Nigeria on sustainable transport and ports, and with Brazil and Pará on innovation and wildfire prevention.
- Newsom highlighted state progress, citing greenhouse gas emissions down 21% since 2000, two‑thirds clean electricity in 2023, and rapid grid‑battery buildout now nearing 17 gigawatts.
- Critics underscored California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, which the U.S. Energy Information Administration links to taxes, fees and special fuel requirements, and pointed to the state’s reliance on crude from Amazon-region producers.
- Analysts said the high-profile trip bolsters Newsom’s national standing ahead of a possible 2028 run, even as questions persist about affordability and the pace of California’s path to long‑term climate targets.