Environmental Policy & Politics
California’s Climate Battle: Governor Newsom’s Proactive Measures Amidst Political Tensions
Governor Newsom’s Strategic Defense Against Environmental Rollbacks
As the United States approaches the 2024 presidential election and former president Donald Trump is securing his position for the second term, the partisan tug of war is getting more intense. That is particularly bothersome to the California Governor Gavin Newsom and his Environmental initiatives.
Amidst the impending threat of losing the American leadership position to Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom is preparing for the worst through a cascade of proactive measures to safeguard California’s climate policies.
The state of California, led by Newsom, leverages the sundry policies and legal strategies to prevent future federal government initiatives from rolling back already-started environmental ambitions.
According to recent reports, the California administration is preparing to be attacked by the Trump administration if he is elected president of the United States. One of the most recent examples of such future-proofing California's Climate policies is executing voluntary agreements with Stellantis, the fourth-largest automaker, to adhere to California's emission rules.
His experience informs Governor Gavin Newsome’s “Future-proof” policy approach during the last Trump administration, which ran from 2016 to 2020. During this time, California frequently clashed with the Federal government over environmental issues.
Over the years, California has implemented a mix of climate policies in line with greenhouse gas emissions and promotion of sustainability. Those include the Cap and Trade Program, Climate Change Scoring Program, Renewable Portfolio, Low Carbon Fuel and Green Building Standards, and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
California’s climate policies continue to positively impact the state on the global stage by moving it towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Nevertheless, it has not been devoid of setbacks and challenges.
Research has indicated that the cap-and-trade program, in particular, may have deepened historical environmental injustices. In the first years of its operation, emissions increased at 52% of facilities, negatively affecting air quality in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The state's reliance on carbon capture technologies could increase the population in low-income neighborhoods and communities occupied by underprivileged individuals.
Governor Newsom’s administration will likely continue preparing for these potential challenges by strengthening state policies and forming alliances to protect California’s environmental progress.
