At COP30 in Belém, California Governor Gavin Newsom said Democrats are "back on their feet" after a string of state and local wins and urged reframing climate action as a direct cost-of-living issue. He contrasted California's $4.1 trillion green transition with federal steps to resume offshore drilling and roll back clean-energy tax credits. Pointing to insurance crises and extreme weather, Newsom argued voters respond when climate harms their wallets and said he would support a future US-hosted COP, though public backing is limited.
Newsom at COP30: Make Climate a "Kitchen‑Table" Issue — Voters React When Warming Hits Their Wallets
At COP30 in Belém, California Governor Gavin Newsom said Democrats are "back on their feet" after a string of state and local wins and urged reframing climate action as a direct cost-of-living issue. He contrasted California's $4.1 trillion green transition with federal steps to resume offshore drilling and roll back clean-energy tax credits. Pointing to insurance crises and extreme weather, Newsom argued voters respond when climate harms their wallets and said he would support a future US-hosted COP, though public backing is limited.
01:02 PM, 11/13/2025Politics
California governor urges economic framing of climate at COP30 in Belém
California Governor Gavin Newsom told AFP at the UN's COP30 summit in Belém that Americans will take climate change seriously when they see its direct impact on their finances. The 58-year-old governor — viewed by many as a possible 2028 presidential contender — contrasted California's aggressive climate agenda with federal policy shifts under the Trump administration.
Newsom highlighted California's effort to decarbonize a roughly $4.1 trillion economy and criticized recent federal moves, including plans to resume offshore drilling off the California coast and rollbacks of clean-energy tax credits. He argued these federal steps underscore why state-level action matters.
"The answer is unequivocal, yes," Newsom said when asked whether Democrats had momentum after recent state and local victories. "This party's back on its feet. We're on our toes. We're not on our heels."
At COP30, he urged advocates and politicians to frame climate policy as a cost-of-living issue rather than an abstract environmental warning. "Well, it's a cost-of-living issue, it's a kitchen-table issue," he said, pointing to rising homeowners' insurance costs, canceled policies and long claim delays following intensified wildfires and storms from California to the East Coast.
Newsom also stressed the economic case for clean energy: "Green energy is cheap energy," he said, acknowledging that California's retail electricity rates complicate the local picture but arguing global data supports the broader point.
Asked whether a future Democratic administration would seek to host a UN climate conference (the Western bloc will be eligible around 2031), Newsom said he would encourage the idea but noted public support in California is currently limited: "maybe one-half of one percent" in his estimate. He cited his experience hosting a UN environment day as San Francisco mayor and the city's ongoing Climate Week as part of his credentials.
Context: The interview came after a string of state and local wins for Democrats following a challenging national election cycle. Newsom expressed optimism about the party's momentum while also lamenting missed opportunities in recent federal budget negotiations to secure health-care cost concessions.
ia/lth/iv/bgs — Reported by AFP in Belém