Munich: Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday to expand cooperation on clean energy and climate protection. The agreement, finalized during the Munich Security Conference, aims to foster transatlantic investment, create jobs, and strengthen the relationship between the UK and California.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero stated that this deal will contribute to the growth of industry and employment. Secretary Miliband emphasized the importance of international partnerships in advancing the government's clean energy mission, which focuses on reducing energy costs, creating jobs, and addressing the climate crisis. He highlighted the significance of the partnership with California in securing investment and opportunities for UK businesses.
Governor Newsom expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting that it deepens the partnership with the UK on climate action. He also announced a significant clean tech investment from Octopus Energy, amounting to nearly a billion dollars. Newsom reiterated California's commitment to demonstrating leadership in innovation and climate action.
Both the UK and California have ambitious clean energy goals. A report by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in 2025 projected that the UK's net zero economy is set to grow at 10.1 percent, significantly outpacing the overall UK economy's growth rate of 3.2 percent in 2024. Similarly, California's Clean Jobs report of 2024 indicated the addition of 21,600 clean energy jobs, bringing the total to 544,600.
In a contrasting development, US President Donald Trump recently revoked a key 2009 ruling on the dangers of greenhouse gases, which was a previous American effort to mitigate global warming's impact.