April 2, 2024
Media Contacts:
Kalin Kipling-Mojaddedi, California Environmental Protection Agency, kalin.kipling@calepa.ca.gov
Martin Greenstein, California State Transportation Agency, martin.greenstein@calsta.ca.gov
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The secretaries of the California Environmental Protection Agency and California State Transportation Agency visited China to make progress on key climate and clean transportation priorities, including finalizing workplans for two of California’s MOUs with Chinese provinces and municipalities.
SACRAMENTO – California Secretary for Environmental Protection Yana Garcia and California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin recently visited Shanghai, Hong Kong, and the Chinese provinces of Guangdong and Hainan to advance critical subnational partnerships on climate and identify additional opportunities for collaboration and shared learning.
The trip built on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s visit in October 2023, when California signed five memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that strengthen California’s work with China on climate action and set the stage for more subnational discussions and cooperation.
“Building on California and China’s long history of climate cooperation has never been more important as we all continue to face the growing impacts of climate change. Partnership at all levels of government is critical to protecting our communities from extreme weather and pollution,” said Secretary Garcia. “With our colleagues in China we are continuing to accelerate the deployment of nature-based solutions to capture carbon and improve community resilience, cut pollution from the transportation and goods movement sectors, and catalyze investment in the circular economy. No country or state is in this alone. Visits like these provide opportunities for shared learning and people-to-people partnership vital to achieving California’s world-leading climate goals.”
“Transportation is all about strengthening connections, and that was a big part of this trip to China,” said Secretary Omishakin. “From touring the world’s largest seaport to gaining insight on battery swapping technology for electric vehicles to sharing ideas and best practices with high-ranking Chinese officials, we continue to build upon the trans-Pacific relationships developed by Governor Newsom to help maintain and grow California’s standing as a world leader in clean transportation.”
Highlights from the March 2024 trip:
Moving forward, California will continue to advance efforts with its national, provincial and municipal partners in China, including to enhance collaboration between the San Francisco Bay Area and China’s Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area.
California’s world-leading climate policies have led the state to exceed its 2020 emissions reduction target four years ahead of schedule and created partnerships across the U.S. and around the world. California currently has over 40 memorandums of understanding with countries on all continents except Antarctica.
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• California Air Resources Board • Department of Pesticide Regulation • Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) • Department of Toxic Substances Control • Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment • State Water Resources Control Board • Regional Water Quality Control Boards
CalEPA, 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 • P.O. Box 2815, Sacramento, CA 95812 • (916) 323-2514 www.calepa.ca.gov
“Building on California and China’s long history of climate cooperation has never been more important as we all continue to face the growing impacts of climate change. Partnership at all levels of government is critical to protecting our communities from extreme weather and pollution. With our colleagues in China we are continuing to accelerate the deployment of nature-based solutions to capture carbon and improve community resilience, cut pollution from the transportation and goods movement sectors, and catalyze investment in the circular economy. No country or state is in this alone. Visits like these provide opportunities for shared learning and people-to-people partnership vital to achieving California’s world-leading climate goals.”
California Secretary for Environmental Protection
“Transportation is all about strengthening connections, and that was a big part of this trip to China. From touring the world’s largest seaport to gaining insight on battery swapping technology for electric vehicles to sharing ideas and best practices with high-ranking Chinese officials, we continue to build upon the trans-Pacific relationships developed by Governor Newsom to help maintain and grow California’s standing as a world leader in clean transportation.”
California Secretary for Transportation
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