By Vanguard Staff

SACRAMENTO – In a direct rebuke to the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, the California State Senate passed Senate Resolution 36 (SR 36) on Tuesday, reaffirming the state’s commitment to international climate cooperation and environmental leadership.

Authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), SR 36 positions California as a steadfast climate leader, independent of federal directives. “California will not back down from climate leadership, even as the federal government retreats,” said Cortese. “Through SR 36, the state will continue to participate in our international climate responsibilities, regardless of what happens in Washington. Our ultimate goal is not just to slow climate change, but to reverse it.”

The resolution comes in response to a controversial executive order issued by President Trump on January 20, 2025, which directed the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The order cited economic concerns and sought to end all financial commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including immediate revocation of the U.S. International Climate Finance Plan.

Climate advocates applauded California’s move. Jonathan Cole of Climate Action California emphasized the scientific stakes: “Politics can’t change the physics of climate. As long as greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere continue to climb, the long-term average temperature of the Earth will continue to increase. SR 36 sends the U.S. and the world a clear message that California remains committed to the international climate effort and will continue to be a global climate leader.”

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015 and signed by nearly every country in the world, aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with efforts to cap the rise at 1.5°C. It represents the first legally binding international treaty on climate change. While the Trump administration has framed its withdrawal as an economic necessity, critics argue the decision isolates the U.S. and undermines global climate cooperation.

SR 36 not only reaffirms California’s commitment to the Paris Agreement but also aligns the state’s policy with broader climate restoration goals. It supports efforts to return atmospheric carbon levels to pre-industrial concentrations and designates climate restoration, net-zero, and net-negative emissions as core priorities for California.

The resolution builds upon Cortese’s earlier work. In 2023, the State Senate passed SR 34, marking the first time California formally recognized climate restoration as a state priority. Cortese has long been a champion of bold climate action: in 2019, while serving on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, he introduced the nation’s first Climate Restoration Emergency Resolution, and later spoke at the United Nations Climate Restoration Forum.

Cortese also helped launch the County Climate Coalition in partnership with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, and created the Silicon Valley Kids Climate Club, now housed at The Tech Interactive Museum in San Jose, to educate young people on climate solutions.

In addition to SR 36, Senator Cortese is advancing a suite of environmental legislation in 2025, all of which have passed their Senate policy committees:

SB 429: Establishes the first publicly accessible wildfire risk model to help residents and local governments plan for and mitigate wildfire threats.

SB 653: Encourages environmentally responsible vegetation management that supports both ecological health and public safety.

SB 30: Prevents the redeployment of decommissioned diesel trains, reducing air pollution and accelerating clean transportation alternatives.

While the federal government’s recent actions mark a significant shift in U.S. climate policy, California’s legislative response underscores a continuing commitment to global climate goals, economic transformation through clean energy, and environmental justice for future generations.

Categories: Breaking News Environment State of California Tags: Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project California State Senate Climate Action California Jonathon Cole of Climate Action California Paris Agreement President Trump Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Senator Dave Cortese