Environmental Briefs: Climate Leadership Advances Through Partnership with China, California Transportation and Climate Investments, Visiting Conservation Sites

Conservation Corps and green space advocates Congresswoman Barragán (CA-44) and Congressman Neguse (CO-2) visited CCLB’s new Lower LA River Environmental Education Center at DeForest Park in North Long Beach

California Advances Global Climate Leadership Through Expanded Partnership with China

SACRAMENTO —   Furthering California’s long-standing collaboration with China on climate change, Gov. Gavin Newsom April 18, renewed a Memorandum of Understanding or MOU to advance ongoing cooperation on initiatives to protect the environment, reduce carbon emissions and air pollution, and promote clean energy development.

The Governor and China’s Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu signed the MOU in a virtual meeting joined by Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, who serves as the Governor’s Representative for International Affairs and Trade Development, and senior climate officials from California and China.

The MOU outlines continued exchanges between California and China – the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses – on the implementation of emissions trading systems, expanding markets for clean transportation, including zero-emission vehicles, and reducing air pollution and short-lived climate pollutants. It also includes a new focus on strategies to achieve carbon neutrality, nature-based solutions to combat climate change and protect biodiversity, and promoting climate-resilient infrastructure investment and green finance. The MOU renews a prior version signed by Governor Brown in 2018.

The California-China Climate Institute at the University of California, Berkeley will serve as California’s primary liaison for information sharing and communication under the MOU. Led by former Gov. Jerry Brown, the Institute was launched in 2019 to foster cooperation and joint policy research on climate issues by California and China. Governor Newsom last year signed legislation to codify the Institute in statute.

Details: www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/momorandum-of-understandin

New Transportation, Climate Investments Headed to California

Washington, D.C.  — California is set to  receive $555,295,299 in funding under the historic Jobs and Infrastructure Law to provide Californians with more sustainable transportation options, ease congestion in local communities and reduce air pollution across the state.

Rep. Nannette Barragán said this deeply needed funding will slash commute times, lower costs for working families, combat harmful carbon pollution and support good-paying, union jobs in the 44th district. 

The investments total more than $6.4 billion across the country and are administered under the Federal Highway Administration’s carbon reduction program, a new initiative established by the Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act. These funds can be invested in a range of eligible projects, including: Port electrification; Public transit services; Electric vehicle charging infrastructure; Traffic flow improvements; Congestion management technology; Pedestrian and cycle trails.

Congressmembers Barragán and Neguse Visit Conservation Sites in Compton and Long Beach

SAN PEDRO – On April 18, Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44) hosted Congressman Joe Neguse (C0-02) in her district where they spent time with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps or LACC and the Conservation Corps of Long Beach or CCLB to discuss ongoing Conservation Corps activities in California’s 44th District to support environmental justice and jobs for local youth. 

The Conservation Corps’ programs are designed to empower young people through environmentally focused development, employment and education opportunities. President Biden’s proposed Fiscal Year 23 budget includes proposals to expand the work of local and state Conservation Corps through the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps that would employ thousands of young people around the country to address the threat of climate change.

Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán said the Los Angeles and Long Beach Conservations Corps provide critical job training and workforce development opportunities for young people to advance environmental justice solutions in their communities. Congressman Neguse said this bill will fund more than 1,000 new or upgraded local parks, create jobs and invest in the environment. 

“Once the DeForest Park environmental education center is up and running this coming fall, young people of the Conservation Corps of Long Beach will have a base of operations to further the greening and stewardship along the Lower LA River,” said Dan Knapp executive, director|CEO of Conservation Corps of Long Beach.