SACRAMENTO – As the Trump Administration yanks the United States out of the United Nations Paris Agreement, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. will depart today for a week-long trip to Chengdu, Nanjing and Beijing to expand the state’s close climate ties with China – and reaffirm the commitment of global subnational governments, like California, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Yesterday, Governor Brown, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee announced the formation of the United States Climate Alliance, a coalition that will convene U.S. states committed to upholding the Paris Agreement and taking aggressive action on climate change.
In Beijing, Governor Brown will host the Under2 Clean Energy Forum with China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and Sichuan Province and participate in events associated with the Clean Energy Ministerial, an annual meeting of national energy ministers and other high-level delegates from nearly two dozen countries.
The Under2 Clean Energy Forum expands on the Clean Energy Ministerial by bringing together members of the Under2 Coalition – leaders of cities, provinces and states around the world – as well as businesses and NGOs to drive subnational and non-state action to decarbonize the economy and curb climate change. This forum builds on the event Governor Brown launched last year in San Francisco during the Clean Energy Ministerial.
The Under2 Coalition – an international pact among cities, states and countries committed to limiting the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, the level of potentially catastrophic consequences – now includes 170 jurisdictions on six continents. These members collectively represent more than 1.18 billion people and $27.5 trillion GDP – equivalent to 16 percent of the global population and 37 percent of the global economy. Among the coalition members are 10 U.S. states and eight U.S. cities that together account for nearly one-third of America’s population and GDP.
In addition to these events in Beijing, Governor Brown will open the trip with visits to Chengdu in Sichuan Province in southwestern China and Nanjing, the capital city of China’s eastern Jiangsu Province, to build greater regional climate collaboration and action. In 2015, both Sichuan and Jiangsu became the first Chinese provinces to join the Under2 Coalition.
Throughout the trip, the Governor will meet with high-level regional and national government officials, including leaders from China’s Ministry of Science and Technology and China’s Ministry of Commerce, and sign agreements to strengthen bilateral cooperation on climate action and clean energy and technology. Other high-level meetings will be added during the trip.
This trip builds on significant diplomatic, environmental and business exchanges between California and China since Governor Brown took office, including: a Trade and Investment Mission to China in 2013; first-of-its-kind climate agreements between California and China’s National Development and Reform Commission and China’s Ministry of Commerce; and meetings between Governor Brown and President Xi during his visit to Los Angeles as then-Vice President of China in 2012 and again as President in Indian Wells in 2013 and Seattle in 2015.
The itinerary for the Governor’s trip is below:
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Meeting and Clean Technology Signing Ceremony with Sichuan Province
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Location: Sichuan Jinjiang Hotel, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Monday, June 5, 2017
Remarks at 2017 International Summit on New Environment Protection Technology
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Location: Nanjing Jinling Conference Center, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Meeting and Clean Technology Signing Ceremony with Jiangsu Province
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: Nanjing Dongjiao State Guesthouse, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Meeting and Clean Technology Signing Ceremony with China’s Ministry of Science and Technology
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: National Convention Center, Beijing, China
Remarks at Clean Energy Ministerial International Forum on Electric Vehicle Pilot Cities and Industrial Development
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: National Convention Center, Beijing, China
Meeting with China’s Ministry of Commerce
Time: 10:15 a.m.
Location: Ministry of Commerce, Beijing, China
Meeting with City of Beijing
Time: 11:15 a.m.
Location: Beijing Municipal Government Headquarters, Beijing, China
Meeting with Hebei Province
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Palace of Peace, Beijing, China
Remarks at Clean Energy Ministerial Energy Foundation Clean Energy Economic Transition Forum
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: National Convention Center, Beijing, China
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Opening Keynote at Under2 Clean Energy Forum
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: National Convention Center, Beijing, China
High-Level Dialogue with Former UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres at Under2 Clean Energy Forum
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: National Convention Center, Beijing, China
Remarks and Signing Ceremony at California-Haidian District Innovation and Clean Technology Reception
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Dadi Kenji Tower, Beijing, China
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Keynote Remarks at California-China Climate Partnership Dialogue at Tsinghua University
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
**NOTE: Schedule subject to change and other high-level meetings will be added during the trip. All times local. Credentialed reporters can request additional information regarding media access and coverage in China by contacting govpressoffice@gov.ca.gov.