PRESS RELEASE: California’s Secretary for Environmental Protection Joins State and Global Leaders at Climate Week NYC, Urging Climate Action

For Immediate Release: September 22, 2025

Media Contacts:
Nefretiri Cooley, nefretiri.cooley@calepa.ca.gov

What you need to know: CalEPA Secretary Yana Garcia is at Climate Week NYC, underscoring the state’s global leadership on climate action and its resolve to maintain a sense of urgency despite federal attacks and rollbacks. 

Sacramento – California’s leader for environmental protection, Secretary Yana Garcia, today joins fellow state officials, international delegates and global climate experts at Climate Week NYC. Her participation reaffirms California’s ongoing and decisive leadership in accelerating bold action amid the Trump Administration’s denial of science and incessant attacks on climate and economic progress.  

“Climate threats are real. Hotter days, drier droughts and more devastating wildfires are making that clearer than ever,” said CalEPA Secretary Garcia. “California has long been out front on setting ambitious climate goals and staying the course to reach them. Armed with science and like-minded partners, we are keeping our focus squarely on fighting the long-term effects of climate change to protect health and wellbeing. Climbing to the fourth largest economy in the world proves that protecting people from environmental harm and economic innovation go hand in hand.”  

While in New York, Secretary Garcia will participate in several convenings to share California’s leadership and expertise on climate policy. The state continues to invest in programs and policies that reduce pollution while driving clean economies: 

• Last week, Governor Newsom signed a historic package of climate and energy affordability legislation, including the extension the state’s Cap-and-Invest program (formerly Cap-and-Trade) to 2045, a timeline that aligns with the state’s world-leading carbon neutrality targets.  

• Nearly $33 billion has been raised from polluters to fund climate solutions in communities across the state with money from the state’s Cap-and-Invest program over the past 10+ years. These investments have delivered more than a half a million projects across the state, supporting over 122,000 jobs and cutting millions of tons of carbon emissions. Of the $12.8 billion already implemented, $9.2 billion has benefitted priority populations.   

• California leads the nation in transportation decarbonization. In June 2025, Governor Newsom signed an executive order reaffirming the state’s commitment to ZEV deployment and initiating the development of the Advanced Clean Cars III regulation to advance new strategies for emissions reduction and spur innovation. In August, state agencies released a report that charts a path to expand clean and ZEV adoption across all vehicle types, protect public health and maintain the state’s momentum in the face of federal rollbacks. 

• In 2025, California announced a major milestone — 67% of the state’s retail electricity sales came from renewable and zero-carbon electricity generation — compared to just 61% the previous year and around 41% a decade ago.   

• With more than 545,000 clean energy jobs, California is first in the U.S. for total renewable energy generation jobs and first for overall clean energy jobs.   

• Pollution is down and the economy is up. California’s greenhouse gas emissions are down 20% since 2000, while the state’s GDP increased 78% in the same timeframe. 

This week, California is continuing its collaboration with global leaders to reduce pollution around the world. The state has built a decades-long legacy of forming partnerships that drive emission reductions and strengthen climate commitments among national and regional governments. Recent examples include: 

• In August 2025, in their continued partnership, California and Denmark signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Governor Gavin Newsom and Ambassador of Denmark to the U.S. Jesper Møller Sørensen supporting green economy resilience, technology and innovation. 

• In May 2025, CARB and the Republic of Panama entered into a partnership on carbon pricing programs and climate investments. 

• In March 2025, California signed a new partnership with Sonora Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño advancing cross-border action for cleaner air and clean energy. 

• In February 2025, California and a consortium of Brazilian states partnered together to combat pollution and foster sustainable economic growth.  

The mission of CalEPA is to restore, protect and enhance the environment to ensure public health, environmental quality and economic vitality. We fulfill our mission by developing, implementing and enforcing environmental laws that regulate air, water and soil quality, pesticide use and waste recycling and reduction. Our departments are at the forefront of environmental science, using the most recent research to shape the state’s environmental laws.