Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gavin Newsom Celebrate 20 Years of California Climate Law

Former California Arnold Schwarzenegger and current Gavin Newsom celebrated the 20th anniversary of landmark state climate legislation at an economic conference in Long Beach on Wednesday, marking a rare display of bipartisan unity.

Twenty Years of Assembly Bill 32

Schwarzenegger, a Republican, signed Assembly Bill 32, known as the Global Warming Solutions Act, during his tenure. At Wednesday’s conference, he noted that the legislation significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions while creating over half a million clean-energy jobs.

California is the perfect example of what can be done when people work together and when we don’t look at this as a Republican or as a Democratic issue, Schwarzenegger said.

The state met the legislation’s target of returning emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 four years ahead of schedule. However, recent analyses indicate that California is currently not on track to meet its future targets of cutting emissions by 40% by 2030 and 85% by 2045.

Newsom Links Clean Energy Growth to National Security

Newsom touted the state’s installation of 39,000 megawatts of clean energy over the last seven years, alongside 23,000 megawatts of battery storage. He also highlighted that the state has not issued a flex alert in four years.

So we’re not in the goal-setting business; we’re in the how business, Newsom said.

He described the clean energy transition as a critical national security issue for the United States, pointing to economic and supply chain leadership stakes as China surpasses the U.S. in electric vehicles, clean-energy manufacturing, and the deployment of renewables.

The state’s carbon market, cap-and-invest, launched in 2013 after being paved by the original legislation. The Legislature extended cap-and-invest to 2045 last year, and the state is currently initiating the process of linking its market with Washington state.

Bipartisan Political Figures Attend Long Beach Economic Conference

The Long Beach economic conference and a preceding luncheon in Santa Monica brought together figures from across the political aisle. Attendees included former Gray Davis, whom Schwarzenegger defeated in the 2003 recall election, and billionaire hedge-fund founder Tom Steyer. Former state Assembly Speaker Fabien Nunez and former state Sen. Fran Pavley, who helped pass the climate legislation, also attended.

Discussions touched on historical bipartisan environmental efforts, such as former Republican President Richard Nixon creating the Environmental Protection Agency and signing the Endangered Species Act.

Schwarzenegger recounted appointing Susan Kennedy, a Democrat, as his chief of staff during his governorship. I didn’t care because, to me, I thought I wanted to hear what the Democrats were thinking, he said.

The two former and current governors concluded the Wednesday afternoon discussion by praising each other and embracing on stage.

More on California: California Growth Outpaces Texas and Florida, Governor's Office Data Shows · California Leaders Condemn Trump After Comments on Iran Targeting LA and San Diego · California Faces Medi-Cal Reckoning Amid Rising Costs and Expected Federal Cuts