(Image Credit: IMAGN) Jun 27, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; California Governor Gavin Newsom making media rounds in the Spin Room at Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion after the CNN Presidential Debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump held at CNN's studios in Atlanta. CNN Anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash are moderators of the debate. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY
Sacramento, California – California is expanding its international reach on climate policy, and this week Governor Gavin Newsom added Kenya to the state’s growing list of global partners.
At Climate Week in New York, Newsom and Kenyan President William Ruto signed a memorandum of understanding that links California’s clean energy goals with Kenya’s own push for sustainable development. The agreement covers everything from cutting carbon emissions to boosting trade and building cleaner transportation systems.
“This milestone partnership between Kenya and California reflects our shared vision and commitment to bold climate action and green development,” Ruto said in a statement. “By linking innovation, investment, and research, we will accelerate Africa’s transition in sustainable energy, transportation, and food systems, while creating new opportunities and prosperity for our people.”
For Newsom, the deal is part of a deliberate effort to position California as a reliable climate partner on the world stage, particularly at a time when he argues Washington has pulled back from leadership. “California and Kenya are both on the front lines of the climate crisis—we know the hots are getting hotter and the dries are getting drier,” he said. “While the federal government abdicates its international role, California will always be a stable and reliable partner.”
The agreement isn’t just symbolic. It outlines specific areas of cooperation: advancing low-carbon development, supporting clean energy research, exploring public-private partnerships, and encouraging sustainable urban planning that reduces sprawl and long commutes. It also emphasizes trade and investment opportunities between California and Kenya, linking environmental progress to economic growth.
The Kenya deal comes just a day after California announced a similar partnership with Brazil, and it follows a string of agreements Newsom has brokered in recent years with countries and regions from China to Denmark to South Korea. His administration says these collaborations now cover more than a quarter of the world’s population and tens of trillions of dollars in combined GDP.
California likes to point to its own track record as proof that climate ambition and economic growth can coexist. Since 2000, the state has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent while its economy has expanded by nearly 80 percent. Two-thirds of California’s electricity came from clean sources in 2023, and the state has hit 100 percent renewable energy for parts of the day nearly every day this year. At the same time, investments in battery storage and new clean power resources have grown exponentially.
The Newsom administration frames these global partnerships as a way of exporting that model. For Kenya, the tie-up offers access to California’s research institutions, green technologies, and potential investors. For California, it reinforces the state’s image as a climate leader—even if that means stepping into a role traditionally played by the federal government.
The symbolism of California linking arms with Kenya at Climate Week is hard to miss. Both regions are experiencing the immediate effects of climate change, whether it’s droughts in East Africa or wildfires in the American West. By formalizing cooperation, both leaders are betting that their shared vulnerabilities can become a foundation for shared solutions.
