FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
Contact: ccci@berkeley.edu

BERKELEY – Top national, state, provincial, and city leaders from across the U.S. and China convened today at the U.S.-China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action, where the State of California, China’s National Development and Reform Commission, the California-China Climate Institute, and others announced a series of new actions to advance subnational climate cooperation and progress from the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters. 

“Just last year, our planet saw the hottest temperatures in over 2,000 years. There has never been more urgency than now to act on the climate crisis — and we have to act together,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “California and China will continue building on our decades of climate work because this moment calls for an open hand, not a closed fist.” 

This week’s convening – hosted by the California-China Climate Institute – serves as the high-level event on subnational climate action announced late last year by the U.S. and China in the Sunnylands Statement on Enhancing Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis and will continue tomorrow.

“Climate change is a common challenge facing all humankind,” said China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change Liu Zhenmin. “I am convinced that the U.S.-China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action will carry on the spirit of cooperative tradition, and build a bridge of communication and cooperation for Chinese and American provinces, states, cities, enterprises, think tanks and other sectors to promote multi-tiered pragmatic cooperation and learning in multiple fields between different entities. Today’s high-level event is a very concrete move to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and as agreed in the Sunnylands Statement” 

“In recent years, the U.S.-China relationship has been marked by increasing competition and tension. But we are here not because of our differences, but because of the common ground we share and the common threat we face in confronting the climate crisis,” said former California Governor and California-China Climate Institute Chair Jerry Brown. “We have a unique opportunity to make real progress together, so let’s seize it for the benefit of our people and our planet.”

A series of actions were announced at the U.S.-China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action, including: 

• Advancing California and China’s Subnational Climate Memorandums of Understanding: The State of California and various departments of the People’s Republic of China are advancing implementation of the Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) California signed in 2023 at the national, provincial, and municipal level, and identifying additional areas for coordination as they emerge. Specifically, finalized work plans outline how they will advance clean energy research and innovation; promote the natural and built systems; tackle air pollution and carbon emissions; and advance respective low-carbon sustainable development goals in support of the vision of carbon neutrality. In particular, China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NRDC) and the State of California finalized their 2024 Work Plan under their joint MOU. 
• Establishing the China-U.S. Youth Future Climate Leadership Exchange Program: China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) announced the “China-U.S. Youth Future Climate Leadership Exchange Program” to bring American youth to China for dialogue and exchange with their Chinese counterparts and cultivate climate leadership in both countries, enabling them to play an important role in combating climate change and spurring global action.
• Forming a Subnational Expert Group: The California-China Climate Institute agreed to establish a Subnational Expert Group and serve as its Secretariat to build on the progress made at this event and continue to strengthen cooperation among states, provinces, and cities in the U.S. and China. 
• Sharing Progress on the Global Stage: Participants committed to sharing subnational progress and outcomes from these collaborative efforts later this year at Climate Week NYC in September and COP29 in Azerbaijan in November. 
• Expanding Climate Dialogue: The California-China Climate Institute announced it plans to host a series of conversations between its Chair, former Governor Jerry Brown, and other climate leaders in the Pacific Rim to promote mutual understanding, foster further climate action, and spotlight innovative climate solutions.

Separately, at the Greater Bay Area-California Dialogue, held concurrently, new initiatives were announced to advance climate cooperation between California’s Bay Area and China’s Greater Bay Area, including:

• The Greater Bay-California Climate Cooperation Letter of Intent: This agreement with the Province of Guangdong and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong will initiate joint climate research, training, and dialogue. 
• The Carbon Market and Carbon Finance Research and Capacity Building Program: This program with the Province of Guangdong and the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong will build on California’s carbon market experience and the U.S. voluntary carbon market programs. 
• The Greater Bay Area Methane Emissions Policy Research and Training Program: This initiative will feature policy and technical exchange and pilot programs focused on cutting waste and agricultural methane.

The U.S.-China High-Level Event on Subnational Climate Action also featured exchange and discussions covering a wide-range of topics, including: greenhouse gas and air pollution reduction strategies; clean energy development; carbon capture, utilization and storage; city- and state-led climate initiatives; adaptation and resilience; green infrastructure and urban nature-based solutions; the circular economy; inclusive transition; and green shipping – among other subjects. 

Throughout the event, participants reaffirmed their interest in continuing to advance policy dialogues; sharing of best practices and lessons learned; and technical exchanges between the U.S. and China. Officials joined the event from the States of California, Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee, and Washington; the Provinces of Hainan and Guangdong; and the cities of Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Suzhou in China and Blytheville (AR), Los Angeles (CA), Missoula (MT), Rochester (MN), and San Francisco (CA) in the U.S. – among other jurisdictions. Business, science, academic, and philanthropic leaders also participated in the event.

This event builds on the recent meeting between Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta and China’s Special Envoy for Climate Change Liu Zhenmin, as well as the Special Envoy’s meetings in California with top state officials earlier this month. The meetings in California, which the Institute helped facilitate, included Governor Gavin Newsom as well as top leaders from the Governor’s Office, California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), Energy Commission (CEC), and Air Resources Board (CARB) and included discussions about this week’s high-level event and collaborative efforts to advance the goals of the Sunnylands Statement and the State of California’s climate MOUs with China and its provinces and municipalities.  

Earlier this year, the Institute supported a trip to China by the secretaries of CalEPA and CalSTA to advance key climate and clean transportation priorities. This followed Governor Newsom’s visit last October, which the Institute also helped organize. During this trip, California signed five climate-focused agreements and helped set the stage for more subnational discussions and cooperation, including this week’s event.

The University of California-wide California-China Climate Institute was launched in 2019 and is housed jointly at UC Berkeley’s School of Law – through its Center for Law, Energy & the Environment – and the Rausser College of Natural Resources. It is chaired by former California Governor Jerry Brown with longtime global climate leader and former chair of the California Air Resources Board Mary Nichols serving as vice chair. Through research, training and dialogue, the Institute aims to inform policymakers, foster cooperation and partnership, and drive climate solutions at all levels.

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