Governors Briefs: New Climate Partnership and Appointment

California and Norway Ink New Climate Partnership

LARKSPUR – California took significant new climate action April 16 with another partner: Norway.

Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed a delegation from Norway led by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon. Following a stop at San Quentin focused on criminal justice reform, the California and Norway delegations visited the Larkspur Ferry Terminal – home to one of the world’s first clean hydrogen fuel cell passenger ferries – to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding or MOU to advance climate collaboration. 

The MOU outlines four years of cooperation between California and Norway on clean energy, zero-emission transportation and ports, carbon removal and climate-smart agriculture. The text of the MOU can be found here

The two delegations also signed a joint statement highlighting the new areas of climate collaboration, existing work on economic development and continued partnership on criminal justice and prison reform. 

Details: The text of the joint statement can be found here. 

Gov. Newsom Announces Appointments
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom March 29 announced the following appointments:

Alan Arkatov, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Exposition Park and California Science Center Board of Directors. Arkatov has been Senior Advisor to Arizona State University President Michael Crow, Executive Director of the Learning Transformation Studies at Arizona State University, and Professor in the College of Global Futures and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University since 2023. He was the Katzman/Ernst Chair in Educational Entrepreneurship, Technology, and Innovation at the University of Southern California from 2014 to 2023, and Director of the Center for Engagement Driven Global Education (EDGE) at the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education from 2018 to 2023. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Arkatov is a Democrat.