California Must Continue Its Climate Leadership Despite Trump

SAN FRANCISCO — News outlets today are reporting that the Trump administration will pull out of its commitment to climate change initiatives set forth under the Paris Agreement last year.

Following is a statement from Ann Notthoff, director of California advocacy for NRDC:

“Trump may be turning his back on fighting climate change, but we won’t. California has a strong record of working with other states and nations to combat climate change. That's even more important now.

“Our coasts and our people are on the frontlines of sea level rise. We’ve seen the very recent impacts of prolonged drought, wildfires and flooding … all of which will become more frequent and severe as climate changes. But we’ve also proven that our state can cut carbon pollution while growing jobs and the economy. So our leaders – in business, labor, government and communities – know that the overwhelming majority of Californians are counting on continued progress in fighting the single-greatest threat to human existence on this planet.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.