California and Spain have signed a new memorandum of understanding aimed at deepening cooperation on climate action and clean energy, following a meeting between Gov. Gavin Newsom and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The announcement came via a social media post from the state's environmental agency on Tuesday, though details of the agreement's specific commitments were not immediately laid out.
What CalEPA Announced
The California Environmental Protection Agency
reposted a statement describing the encounter as a reunion of sorts, with Newsom writing that “it was a pleasure to meet again with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro @SanchezCastejon to sign a new MOU strengthening California-Spain collaboration on climate action and clean energy.” The message credits the new memorandum with strengthening collaboration between California and Spain specifically in the areas of climate action and clean energy, according to the retweeted post.
CalEPA's post framed the new agreement as part of California's broader push to advance clean energy, cut pollution and create jobs, themes that have run through the state's international environmental outreach in recent years.
Part of a Broader Pattern of State-Level Climate Diplomacy
California has a track record of international climate partnerships. Just months earlier, in February, the state signed a separate climate and energy agreement with the United Kingdom, which, per the UK government, built on an already strong relationship between the UK and California.
Clean Energy and Climate Cooperation
The clean energy and climate-cooperation themes now appear at the center of the new MOU Newsom and Sánchez signed, based on the CalEPA post.
The push toward embedding climate provisions into international agreements is not unique to California. A trade-policy analysis from the International Institute for Sustainable Development found that 37% of the agreements it analyzed, spanning 23 parties, included renewable-energy provisions, describing them as connective tissue running through many recent trade deals. Separately, a press release from the Governor of California has touted the state's success in cutting climate pollution while its economy continues to grow.
Exactly where and when Newsom and Sánchez signed the new MOU, and what specific programs or funding it involves, was not detailed in the available CalEPA post. The full text of the agreement had not surfaced publicly as of Tuesday's announcement.
