{"id":496449,"date":"2026-10-15T01:58:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T01:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/496449\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T01:58:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T01:58:13","slug":"gavin-newsom-arnold-schwarzenegger-tout-californias-role-as-a-climate-leader-press-telegram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/496449\/","title":{"rendered":"Gavin Newsom, Arnold Schwarzenegger tout California\u2019s role as a climate leader \u2013 Press Telegram"},"content":{"rendered":"

Policies that are good for the environment<\/a> and the economy<\/a> aren\u2019t mutually exclusive \u2014 and California is proof that advancing such goals doesn\u2019t have to be a red or blue issue.<\/p>\n

That seemed to be the message that former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and current Gov. Gavin Newsom<\/a>, a Democrat, shared during a joint appearance at the California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday, Oct. 14.<\/p>\n

Related: Gov. Gavin Newsom paints optimistic picture of California\u2019s economy<\/a><\/p>\n

During a fireside chat recognizing the 20th anniversary of the Global Warming Solutions Act<\/a>, landmark legislation that Schwarzenegger signed in 2006 to reduce California\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions, both the former and current governors of the world\u2019s fourth-largest economy touted the state\u2019s role as a climate leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have shown to the world what a subnational \u2026 state can do,\u201d said Schwarzenegger.<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Kate Gordon, CEO of California Forward, as moderator, to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Kate Gordon, CEO of California Forward, as moderator, to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, with Kate Gordon, CEO of California Forward, as moderator, to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

\"Governor<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 14<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom participates in a fireside chat with former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to mark 20 years of California\u2019s landmark climate law, AB 32, and discuss how the state is growing its economy while cutting pollution and creating clean energy jobs at the 15th annual California Economic Summit in Long Beach on Wednesday October 14, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)\n<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

But getting Assembly Bill 32<\/a> implemented was no walk in the park \u2014 and not just because of pushback from the oil industry.<\/p>\n

Schwarzenegger recounted the struggles California faced in getting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, then under the administration of President George W. Bush, to grant the state the waivers it needed to adopt stricter environmental standards.<\/p>\n

The state sued<\/a> the EPA in 2007, and ultimately won.<\/p>\n

Fast forward to today.<\/p>\n

Newsom, sitting next to Schwarzenegger during the conversation at the Long Beach Convention Center, credited the former governor\u2019s signing of AB 32 for the creation of the state\u2019s cap-and-trade program, now known as the cap-and-invest program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Under the program, companies must reduce how much carbon emissions they produce, purchase allowances from the state or other businesses, or pay into projects to offset the pollution they produce. Money the state receives pays for climate-change mitigation, affordable housing and transportation projects, along with utility bill credits for residents.<\/p>\n

Since the AB 32 bill signing, Newsom said, $16 billion has been reinvested to offset the cost of Californians\u2019 electric bills, and the state expects to receive another $8 billion over the next four years.<\/p>\n

Newsom also said that the state\u2019s cap-and-invest program has brought about market predictability, which is critical when companies are deciding whether to set up shop in California. Newsom last year signed legislation extending the cap-and-invest program<\/a> through 2045.<\/p>\n

He suggested that the cap-and-invest program is beneficial to the state and credited Schwarzenegger for helping advance the idea.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no Elon Musk<\/a> without what Gov. Schwarzenegger did because there would be no Tesla,\u201d Newsom said. \u201cThere would not be the predictability that created the incentives for him (Musk) to take the big risks and make the big bet in the state of California.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Newsom continued, \u201cwe\u2019re on the other side of the debate as it relates to whether or not this is good for the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some Republicans objected when Newsom extended the cap-and-invest program, raising concerns that it would increase gas prices.<\/p>\n

Schwarzenegger, meanwhile, agreed that the market predictability is \u201cwhy everyone is coming to California\u201d and doubled down on the idea of California as a climate leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happens in California will happen worldwide,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The afternoon fireside chat was Newsom\u2019s second appearance<\/a>\u00a0Wednesday at the California Economic Summit. Earlier in the day, he also spoke about California\u2019s economic successes over the years.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Policies that are good for the environment and the economy aren\u2019t mutually exclusive \u2014 and California is proof…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":496450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[7,400,443,643,457,131,133,132,137,100,13,136],"class_list":["post-496449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-california","tag-california-politics","tag-climate-change","tag-environment","tag-gavin-newsom","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-los-angeles-county","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=496449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/496449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/496450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=496449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=496449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=496449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}