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Oregon, Washington Join North American Agreement On Climate Change

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee attended an international climate conference in Bonn, Germany.
Office of the governor
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee attended an international climate conference in Bonn, Germany.

Oregon and Washington will be part of a group discussing climate change initiatives with two neighboring nations. The agreement between the more than a dozen U.S. states and Mexico and Canada is the product of meetings at an international climate conference in Bonn, Germany.

Oregon and Washington are part of the bi-partisan U.S. Climate Alliance, which is at the Bonn summit to challenge the Trump administration’s climate policy.

“The Trump administration is a blip, it’s just a temporary blip,” Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of an international agreement that aimed to develop guidelines for greenhouse gas reduction. But Inslee said he’s confident the United States still has a place at the table when it comes to climate change.

“So, for the moment, in the foreseeable future, the leadership from our nation will be coming from governors and legislators and mayors,” Inslee said. “And it is!”

During discussions in Bonn, the states agreed to maintain an international dialogue with Canada and Mexico on topics including clean power, energy efficiency and carbon pricing.

Inslee and other state leaders are also discussing ocean acidification, zero-emission vehicles and clean technologies.

Copyright 2017 Northwest News Network

Emily Schwing
Emily Schwing comes to the Inland Northwest by way of Alaska, where she covered social and environmental issues with an Arctic spin as well as natural resource development, wildlife management and Alaska Native issues for nearly a decade. Her work has been heard on National Public Radio’s programs like “Morning Edition” and “All things Considered.” She has also filed for Public Radio International’s “The World,” American Public Media’s “Marketplace,” and various programs produced by the BBC and the CBC. She has also filed stories for Scientific American, Al Jazeera America and Arctic Deeply.