While the Trump administration has officially withdrawn the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time, a powerful coalition of American states, cities, and business leaders is determined to honor the global pact regardless of federal opposition.
Subnational Leaders Take Charge
Delegates from Washington state, along with governors, mayors and representatives from across the United States, have arrived at COP30 in the Amazon with a clear message: The United States remains committed to climate action despite the federal government's stance. Together, these subnational entities represent approximately two-thirds of the US population and generate nearly three-quarters of the country's economic output.
Jay Inslee, the former Democratic governor of Washington and founding member of the US Climate Alliance, traveled from Seattle to Rio de Janeiro to participate in pre-COP events. "The United States have not pulled out of Paris. One part of the United States has, and that's the federal government," Inslee told DW.
The US Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of governors including 23 states and one territory, was formed during Trump's first presidency in 2017. Inslee emphasized the importance of correcting the misconception that climate progress has halted because America has "a bloviating, anti-wind turbine, climate-denying narcissist in the White House."
Economic Imperative Drives Local Action
California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking in Belem, asserted that any future Democratic president would rejoin the Paris Agreement "without hesitation," calling it both a moral commitment and economic imperative. Newsom didn't mince words about Trump's actions: "It's an abomination that he has twice, not once, pulled away from the accords. Donald Trump is doubling down on stupid."
More than 100 subnational leaders from the US Climate Alliance, Climate Mayors and America Is All In coalition are participating in the high-stakes Amazon negotiations running from November 10 to 21. These representatives include state and city officials, tribal nations, businesses, schools and other institutions.
Gina McCarthy, co-chair of America Is All In and former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, emphasized that "change happens from the bottom up" during her speech at the COP30 Local Leaders Forum. She highlighted that the 24 states in the US Climate Alliance have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 24% below 2005 levels while increasing their GDP by 34%.
Tangible Progress Despite Federal Opposition
An analysis released by America Is All In last month reveals that expanded climate action at local levels, combined with renewed federal support after 2028 when Trump is due to leave office, could enable the US to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 56% below 2005 levels by 2035. Under the Biden administration, the US had pledged to cut net emissions by up to 66% by 2035.
Inslee, whose clean energy policies as Washington governor from 2013 to 2025 influenced Biden's climate approach, noted that even in Trump-supporting states like Texas, renewable energy is flourishing because Americans "want cheaper sources of energy." Texas leads the nation in renewable energy generation and battery capacity development, with electricity prices among the lowest in the country according to August data from the US Energy Information Administration.
McCarthy told attendees in Rio that local leaders are building partnerships and informing negotiations in Belem, declaring to applause: "We have power, we have agency, we have authority, and damn it, we are going to use it!"
The determination of these American leaders demonstrates that climate action continues to move forward through local initiatives, market forces, and public demand, regardless of the federal government's position on the world stage.
