The U.S. Climate Alliance today announced that six of its governors — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Hawaii Gov. David Ige, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown — alongside top state officials from California, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, and Minnesota will participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland between October 31 and November 12, 2021.
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COP26 Event Media Advisory

COP26 – Further, Faster, Together: U.S. Climate Alliance Unveils COP26 Delegation

Glasgow, Scotland | November 2-9, 2021

The U.S. Climate Alliance today announced that six of its governors — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Hawaiʻi Gov. David Ige, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and Oregon Gov. Kate Brown — alongside top state officials from California, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Maryland, and Minnesota will participate in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland between October 31 and November 12, 2021. 

 

The Alliance’s events include the announcement of new, ambitious, mid-term, high-impact climate actions and commitments with a number of the world’s top subnational climate leaders and wide-ranging discussions with top Biden Administration officials on the critical state-federal partnership, including: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, U.S. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, and U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David M. Turk. 

 

 U.S. Climate Alliance Governors in the UK:* 

 *All dates subject to change. 

 

U.S. Climate Alliance-Affiliated Events at COP: 

 

Tuesday, November 2, 2021 

 

Breakdown to Breakthrough: A New Shared Path Forward on Climate in the U.S. 

With a new administration and renewed commitment from states across the country, the U.S. is forging a bold, new path forward on climate. Join governors from the U.S. Climate Alliance and White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy for a conversation on how — together — the administration and governors across the U.S. will make the build back better agenda a reality, deliver a better future for the American people, and meet our state and national climate targets.   

 

Time/Location: 6:30-7:30pm UK, U.S. Climate Action Center, Blue Zone 

Livestream: bit.ly/USCA-Live  

Participants 

  • Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards 
  • New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham 
  • California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis 
  • White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy 

 

Wednesday, November 3, 2021 

 

Onward and Upward: State and Federal Collaboration to Confront the Climate Crisis  

Join U.S. Climate Alliance governors and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry for a discussion on how states across America are supporting and accelerating the Administration’s climate agenda, investing in climate resilience in our communities, and deepening our shared commitment to state and federal climate collaboration in the face of the climate crisis. 

 

Time/Location: 12:30-1pm UK, Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion, Blue Zone 

Livestream: bit.ly/USCA-Live  

Participants: 

  • Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards 
  • New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham 
  • California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis 
  • Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry 

 

*NOTE: Due to capacity constraints and COVID protocols, this event is open only to credentialed media. 

 

Sunday, November 7, 2021  

 

U.S. Climate Alliance, Under2 Coalition and C40 Global Subnational High-Impact Actions Announcement 

Join leaders from the world’s top subnational climate coalitions — the U.S. Climate Alliance, Under2 Coalition and C40 — as they come together to announce dozens of new, ambitious, mid-term, high-impact climate actions and commitments. This collective effort, which involves more than 65 governments, is intended to drive further ambition among subnational leaders, as well as national governments — and showcases strong examples of policies that will turbocharge greenhouse gas emission reductions and drive the sort of real, impactful implementation and results needed to make increasingly ambitious climate goals a reality. 

 

Time/Location: 12-1pm UK, Strathclyde University, Technology & Innovation Centre 

Livestream: bit.ly/High-Impact-Actions  

Participants: 

  • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee 
  • Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 
  • Hawai’i Gov. David Ige 
  • New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham 
  • Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker 
  • State/regional leaders from: Maharashtra (India), Emilia-Romagna (Italy), Jeju (S. Korea), Basque (Spain), British Columbia (Canada), and Pernambuco (Brazil) 
  • Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (invited) 
  • U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry (invited) 

 

*NOTE: Due to capacity constraints and COVID protocols, this event is open only to credentialed media. 

 

Monday, November 8, 2021  

 

“All In” This Together: A Clean Energy Transition Through Municipal, State and Federal Partnerships 

Join U.S. Climate Alliance governors and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy David Turk as they highlight the progress made in meeting the moment with respect to climate action. 

 

Time/Location: 5-6pm UK (TBC), U.S. Climate Action Center, Blue Zone. 

Livestream: bit.ly/USCA-Live  

Participants: 

  • Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 
  • Hawai’i Gov. David Ige 
  • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee 
  • Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker 
  • U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David M. Turk 
  • Gretna (LA) Mayor Belinda Constant 
  • Greenville (MS) Mayor Errick Simmons 

 

Green, Blue, and Equitable: Highlighting and Scaling U.S. States’ Best Practices for Increasing Resilience 

Join top officials from nearly one-third of the U.S. Climate Alliance’s states as they showcase leading actions to bolster resilience across the U.S. and discuss how adaptation and other climate-smart land management practices — guided by equity considerations — can provide ecological and economic resilience for communities, increase food system resilience, and provide the essentials elements needed for a clean, equitable, and resilient future. 

 

Time/Location: 6-7pm UK, Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion, Blue Zone. 

Registration: bit.ly/green-blue-equitable  

Participants: 

  • Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles 
  • Hawai‘i Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Coordinator Anukriti (Anu) Hittle 
  • New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos 
  • Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen A. Theoharides 
  • Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future Senior Climate Resilience Coordinator Brian Ambrette (remote) 
  • North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency Chief Resilience Officer Amanda Martin (remote) 
  • Colorado Department of Local Affairs Resiliency Office Director Anne Miller (remote) 
  • Minnesota Climate Director Frank Kohlasch (remote) 

 

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 

 

A State-Federal Partnership for a Net-Zero Future  

The U.S. is back and our bold new climate goals are both achievable and durable because the Biden Administration and states across America have joined forces and are moving forward together. Join U.S. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan and governors from the U.S. Climate Alliance for a discussion on how the U.S. can secure a net-zero future, safeguard public health, and drive economic growth across multiple industries through a strong, sustained state-federal partnership. 

 

Time/Location: 10-11am UK, U.S. Center, Blue Zone. 

Livestream: https://www.state.gov/climate-crisis/cop-26/  

Participants: 

  • Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 
  • Hawai’i Gov. David Ige 
  • Washington Gov. Jay Inslee 
  • Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker 
  • Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides (moderator) 
  • U.S. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan 
About the Alliance

Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the previous administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025, at least 50-52% below 2005 levels by 2030, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.

 

The Alliance’s states and territories continue to demonstrate that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth, job creation, and better public health. While reducing collective greenhouse gas emissions by 19%, Alliance members increased their collective GDP by 30%. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country. 

 

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