Daijiworld Media Network - California
California, Nov 12: With US President Donald Trump skipping the United Nations Climate Summit in the Amazon, California Governor Gavin Newsom took centre stage on Tuesday, launching a scathing attack on the fossil fuel policies championed by his political rival.
The outspoken Democrat widely regarded as a potential 2028 presidential hopeful criticized Trump for twice withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Accord and for “doubling down on stupid” by siding with the oil industry.
Speaking at a press interaction in Belem, the Amazonian city hosting the COP30 summit, Newsom said a future Democratic administration would “without hesitation” rejoin the landmark Paris Agreement.
“It’s a moral commitment, it’s an economic imperative,” Newsom declared. “It’s an abomination that he has twice, not once, pulled away from the accords.”
Trump, who re-entered office in January, withdrew the US from the Paris pact for a second time. He has long dismissed the science of climate change, calling it a “con job.”
Earlier in the day, Newsom appeared alongside Helder Barbalho, the governor of Brazil’s Para state, promoting California’s clean energy credentials. Between bites of tropical fruit and sips of acai juice, he highlighted that California the world’s fourth-largest economy now sources nearly two-thirds of its energy from renewable sources.
The California governor later held a series of meetings with international leaders, including officials from Germany’s Baden-Württemberg state, Brazil’s Minister for Indigenous Peoples, and the Brazilian president of COP30. His packed schedule drew heavy media attention unusual for a regional leader at a global summit.
While state leaders like Newsom are not directly involved in COP30 negotiations, they have been actively engaging in side discussions and policy exchanges. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, who also attended the summit, said her aim was to showcase proactive state leadership on climate action.
“When the federal government leans in, we do more, and when they lean out, we do more. It’s both,” Grisham said.
Meanwhile, Christiana Figueres one of the architects of the Paris Agreement remarked that the absence of Trump’s administration might actually benefit the summit. “I actually think it is a good thing,” she said, suggesting that US officials, while possibly coordinating with oil-rich nations like Saudi Arabia, would not be able to “take the floor” and pressure other delegates.
Experts believe that even without federal cooperation, US states and cities have the capacity to drive substantial emission reductions. A University of Maryland analysis indicated that with enhanced local efforts and a climate-focused president in 2028, US emissions could drop by more than 50 percent by 2035 close to the 61–66 percent target envisioned by President Biden’s plan.
“The president can’t throw a switch and turn everything off that’s not how our system works,” said Nate Hultman, lead author of the study.
However, recent actions by Trump’s administration including the rollback of clean energy tax credits and resistance to international carbon tax measures have raised concerns over the future of US renewable initiatives.
Concluding his remarks, Newsom urged global leaders to remain steadfast in their climate commitments despite Trump’s policies. “Trump is temporary,” he said firmly. “You stand up to a bully.”