Gavin Newsom on His First 100 Days in Office

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: So, it is such an amazing thing on this day both the U.S. House of Representatives and we have just saw the U.K. Parliament have taken major, major steps on the issue of climate. And I just wonder what you think about it, the declaration of emergency, and the — sort of how the activism is being felt?

GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM: There’s an old adage, if you don’t like the way the world looks standing up, stand on your head and go local because remarkable things are happening at the local level, the subnational level, states that are stepping up and stepping in as the United States of America steps away from the international stage of leadership on the issues of low carbon, green growth. Activism is ultimately the solve for the fear and anxiety people have about a world where the hots are getting hotter and the dries are getting dryer and wets are getting wetter. And California is a demonstrable example of a state that’s leading fully function of cap and trade program, aggressive low carbon strategies, a goal to get to 100 percent renewables by 2045. We’re already at 34 percent renewables. It’s proof positive I think of that movement.

AMANPOUR: So, you — I mean, you’re a self-declared, self-described climate geek and you have been talking a lot about how you want to further your own state’s activism on this issue and the legislation about car emissions and the like. Tell me about your — what’s in the works right now on these major issues?

NEWSOM: Well, we — I mean, that 100 percent goal is, I think, a proof point of the commitment of the state that we’ve been advancing for decades. We keep raising that goal. We finally raise it to 100 percent and for one reason, we keep exceeding our goals. Some suggest you can’t grow your economy. We just got our new GDP numbers out, 3.5 percent GDP growth in California last year. Far outpacing the rest of the country. We now have a $3 trillion a year economy as we advanced our low carbon goals. We’re decarbonizing our economy. We’re creating economic opportunities where in the past those didn’t exist. We are the center of the universe in venture capital, in innovation and entrepreneurial spirit around these efforts and we’re proving at scale.

And as you suggest, California is at scale, 40 million people in this state, we’re proving that we can advance these principles and goals. And I think it is an example of what is right but also, it’s a contrasting example with what’s wrong with the Trump administration in Washington, D.C. and why it’s so important that we continue to put the leadership squarely in Congress to continue to pressure the administration.