Brown, other Democratic governors to participate in U.N. climate talks in Glasgow

(Update: Statement from Gov. Brown's office)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — U.S. governors want a seat at the table as international leaders prepare to gather in Scotland at a critical moment for global efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions and slow the planet’s temperature rise.

At least a half dozen state governors — all Democrats — plan to attend parts of the two-week United Nation’s climate change conference in Glasgow, known as COP26. Though states aren’t official parties to talks, governors hold significant sway over the United States’ approach to tackling climate change by setting targets for reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy.

Take California, where Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged to halt the sale of new gas-powered cars in the state by 2035, a move aimed at accelerating the nation’s transition to electric vehicles. Or Washington, where Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee backed legislation requiring the state’s electricity be carbon-neutral by 2030.

“Governors can do a lot,” said Samantha Gross, director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institute. “When they’re talking to people on the sidelines and sharing policies and ideas and helping to demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. as a whole, there’s quite a bit that they can do.”

Governors slated to attend are Inslee, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Hawaii Gov. David Ige, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown. Newsom announced Friday he would participate virtually due to unspecified family obligations. California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis will instead lead the state’s delegation, which includes more than a dozen lawmakers and top administration officials.

Gov. Brown spokesman Christian Gaston, the budget director in the governor's office, shared this statement with NewsChannel 21:

"Throughout Governor Brown’s term, she has worked hard to build the infrastructure necessary to create good jobs and a clean energy transition in Oregon. This last year has shown us how dire the climate crisis ahead of us is, with devastating wildfires, drought and heat events. She will highlight on the global stage the work we’ve done here in Oregon, the lessons we’ve learned, and the need for global change to center equity to ensure that our climate crisis response leaves no one behind."

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/climate-science-business-environment-and-nature-europe-472afede8d44fb6ff216ecd546aea389