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SACRAMENTO – California is forming a new international partnership. This time, we’re partnering with South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, California’s fellow regional partner in terms of population, innovation, and economy. Gyeonggi-do surrounds Seoul, South Korea’s capital and largest city.
The MOU signed today between California and Gyeonggi Province marks a three-year collaboration to foster trade ties, advance climate goals, and foster people-to-people exchanges between academics, entrepreneurs, and innovators in both regions. is outlined. The text of the MOU signed today is available here.
“California is forging new partnerships around the world to advance climate action and grow the economy. Like California, Gyeonggi-do is the nation’s economic hub and a powerhouse of innovation. .
Together, we can uplift communities on both sides of the Pacific.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
Governor Kim Dong-young’s statement: “Gyeonggi Province and the state of California share a common vision of building a global partnership to address the climate crisis. Together with tackling climate change, we are committed to innovating for sustainable development. We look forward to collaborating on new technologies and the high-tech industry of the future.”
Big picture:
- California and Gyeonggi are the most populous regions in their respective countries, and both are known as economic engines of the national economy and hubs of innovation.
- Both California and Gyeonggi Province have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045 and 2050, respectively.
How we got here: California’s world-leading climate policies helped the state meet its 2020 climate goals six years ahead of schedule and forged partnerships across the country and around the world.
- Earlier this year, Governor Newsom welcomed delegations from Sweden and Norway and signed a new climate change partnership with both governments.
- Last year, Governor Newsom led a California delegation to China, and California signed five MOUs with the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the municipalities of Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, and Beijing and Shanghai. The visit also resulted in the first declaration by China and California to cooperate on climate change measures, including aggressively reducing greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning away from fossil fuels, and developing clean energy.
- Additionally, in 2023, California signed a memorandum of understanding not only with Australia but also with China’s Hainan province.
- In 2022 alone, California signed memoranda of cooperation with Canada, New Zealand, and Japan, as well as memoranda of understanding with China and the Netherlands, to address the climate crisis. The governor also recommitted the region to climate action, working with Washington, Oregon and British Columbia.