Intergovernmental Relations Program

From cleaning the air to fighting climate change, California has long been a leader in pioneering environmental solutions that provide economic benefits. The state’s leadership has spurred others to take similar actions and sparked the interest of governments around the world to learn about California’s programs and policies. California shares its experience with other national and subnational governments through a variety of partnerships, allowing the state to maximize the benefits of its actions and be a positive force for enhanced environmental efforts around the globe.

The Intergovernmental Relations Program at the California Environmental Protection Agency facilitates the State’s intergovernmental relations, including through the management of the Intergovernmental Climate Action Team (ICAT), the primary interagency coordinating body for California’s international climate cooperation. The ICAT meets monthly to report on ongoing and planned intergovernmental collaboration, including on visits from international delegations, international trips by California staff, the implementation status of new and existing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and participation in international events and conferences.

California shares its experience on climate and other environmental programs through its bilateral agreements with national and subnational governments and through its engagement in a number of multilateral partnerships. A complete list of MOUs, including those implemented by CalEPA, can be found on the State of California partnerships page. Below is a list of CalEPA’s key multilateral partnerships.

CalEPA’s Multilateral Partnerships

Under2 Coalition
The Under2 Coalition is a group of ambitious state and regional governments committed to keeping global temperature rise to under 2°C. Founded by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and the Minister-President of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany in 2015, the Coalition is made up of more than 220 governments who represent over 1.3 billion people and 43 percent of the global economy. The Climate Group serves as the Secretariat to the Under2 Coalition and works with governments to accelerate climate action through three workstreams: 2050 Pathways, Policy, and Transparency.

United States Climate Alliance
The United States Climate Alliance (USCA) is a bipartisan coalition of 17 governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Alliance represents 40 percent of the U.S. population and a combined $9 trillion economy. The Alliance is the first effort to coordinate state actions that is entirely led and implemented by the states themselves, with a small secretariat for support. 

International Zero Emission Vehicle Alliance
The International ZEV Alliance has 16 leading national and subnational members that commit to strive for 100 percent of passenger vehicle sales to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) as soon as possible, and no later than 2050. California co-founded the ZEV Alliance in 2015. The International Council on Clean Transportation acts as the ZEV Alliance Secretariat, directed by the member jurisdictions. 

Pacific Coast Collaborative
The Pacific Coast of North America represents the world’s fifth-largest economy, a thriving region of 55 million people with a combined gross domestic product of $3 trillion. The Pacific Coast Collaborative includes British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California, as well as the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles. They are working together to build the low carbon economy of the future. The collaborative shares the ambitious goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at least 80 percent by 2050. 

Western Climate Initiative Inc.
Western Climate Initiative Inc. (WCI Inc.) is a non-profit corporation formed to provide administrative and technical services to support the implementation of state and provincial greenhouse gas emissions trading programs. Its board of directors includes officials from the provinces of Québec and Nova Scotia, and the State of California. The services provided by WCI Inc. can be expanded to support jurisdictions that join in the future.

Resources