California and Germany swear to slash greenhouse gas emissions

Governor Jerry Brown met with Germany’s federal minister for the environment in San Francisco Friday, and the two vowed to work to curb greenhouse gas emissions, the governor’s office announced.

Barbara Hendricks, Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, met with Brown in the wake of President Donald Trump’s rescinding of the U.S. commitment to the Paris climate agreement.

Brown said in a statement:

“China and Germany – two of the most powerful countries in the world – are working with California and with other states to deal with climate change.”

He continued:

“The current withdrawal from the Paris Accord by the Washington administration is being overcome and countermanded by people throughout the whole world.”

According to Hendricks, the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement “underscores the significance of sub-national actors in particular in our joint efforts to achieve the overall objective and goals.” He said:

“Together with California, Germany will provide strong leadership for the Under2 Coalition in the COP23 in Bonn this November.”

The Under2 Coalition is an international pact among cities, states and countries to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, the level of potentially catastrophic consequences.

After a private meeting, Brown and Hendricks met with members of the press mid-morning at Milton Marks Auditorium on Golden Gate Avenue.