“Scotland and California will work individually and together to raise international attention to the actions and ambitious reduction goals of climate leaders at a subnational level around the globe, including at key upcoming international climate and energy conferences and summits, in the lead-up to 2018 and beyond”(Climate Change Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of California)”

Scotland and California tackling climate change (https://www.flickr.com/photos/firstministerofscotland/32976541614/)

The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has signed an agreement with the Governor of California Edmund G Brown in Sacramento the “Climate Change Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of California”. It commits the two governments to working together on climate change targets and to provide a model for other governments to follow.

They also discussed the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and considered how the two governments could share knowledge and best practice in developing this technology.

It is all part of the Under2 MoU agreement which the Scottish Government signed up to.

What is the Under2 MoU agreement?

The Under2 MoU agreement came about from the Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015. A partnership was originally formed between California and Baden-Württemberg with the aim of bringing together ambitious states and regions willing to make a number of key commitments toward emissions reduction.

It allows states, regions, and cities to share ideas and best practices on how to reduce greenhouse gases and expand renewable energy developments. 167 jurisdictions representing 33 countries and six continents have signed or endorsed the Under2 MOU. Together, they form the Under2 Coalition and represent more than 1.09 billion people and $25.9 trillion in GDP, equivalent to more than a third of the global economy.

A full list of the participating administrations who are involved can be viewed here:  http://under2mou.org/coalition/ In the UK they are Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester City and Bristol City. Scotland signed up to the coalition in 2015.

The opening statement of the agreement with California states:

“As recognized by the global community in the Paris Agreement, climate change concerns and connects all humankind. It represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies, particularly the poor and the vulnerable, as well as to the environment and our global economy. There has never been a greater need for international cooperation – addressing climate change requires ambitious action by all countries.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“Scotland is making huge progress in delivering our climate change ambitions, but we are not complacent and there is still much to achieve.”

“Today’s meeting strengthened our relationship with the Government of California and I’m confident we can work together to achieve the targets set out by the Under2 MoU.

“We have also offered to help the Under2 Coalition, representing over 1 billion people, to prepare for a major summit in 2018 which will bring together the public and private sectors, alongside NGOs, to build support and action aimed at persuading national governments to increase their efforts to tackle climate change, in what will be an important year for taking stock against progress of the Paris Agreement.”

Reporter: Fiona Grahame