While speaking in Brazil ahead of the United Nations‘s annual climate conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) criticized the Trump administration’s decision not to attend the conference, calling the move disrespectful.
At a Milken Institute event in São Paulo, Newsom said California is a leader in climate policy while the federal government is retreating. He touted his state’s progress in spending on clean energy and seeking to cut emissions, while criticizing the Trump administration for failing to send any high-level officials to the annual U.N. climate conference, also known as COP30.
“The reason I’m here is in the absence of leadership coming from the United States, this vacuum, it’s rather jaw-dropping. Not one representation, not one, not even an observer, not someone taking notes,” Newsom said.
Newsom’s comments come ahead of COP30, a conference tens of thousands of international delegates, indigenous peoples, and other attendees are expected to attend from Nov. 10 to 21. The conference is expected to include discussions about how governments can move toward goals for reducing emissions.
Newsom will be the highest-profile government representative from the United States to attend the conference.
“Not one person from the administration showed any respect to any of you, forget politics. Disrespect. We’re in Brazil, one of our great trading partners, one of the world’s great democracies,” Newsom said.
He noted that Brazil has a significant amount of rare earths, which are essential for building applications in the energy and defense sectors. The administration has been taking steps to diversify its supply chain. Newsom said the federal government should engage with Brazil, and accused President Donald Trump of giving the country the “middle finger” by imposing tariffs of 50% on Brazilian goods.
“That’s shameful,” he said.
As the Trump administration has reversed policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and subsidizing clean energy, California has sought to become a leader in these measures.
Newsom listed several moves California has made in climate policy, including extending its cap-and-invest program.
In September, Newsom signed into law an extension of the state’s cap-and-trade program, which was set to expire in 2030, through 2045. Newsom rebranded the program as the “cap-and-invest” program, which is meant to hold polluters accountable by placing limits on emissions and charging companies for exceeding these limits. The state is seeking to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.
Newsom and Trump have clashed over climate policy, as the administration has blocked California’s stringent vehicle emissions regulations. The regulations were designed to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. Trump has argued that incentives for the industry are costly and coercive.
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“One of our biggest exports, electric vehicles … When I started, 4% of all new vehicle purchases were alternative fuels, hybrid, and EVs. Now they’re 29% in Q3 2025, 29% we’re moving,” Newsom said.
“China gets it. The United States of America is toast, competitively, if we don’t wake up to what the hell [China] is doing in this space, on supply chains, other dominating manufacturing, how they are flooding the zone here, EU, elsewhere, Africa,” he added.
