Governor Gavin Newsom announced on April 24 California’s official acceptance to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), marking a historic milestone that elevates the state’s role in shaping international solutions that tackle the climate crisis, protect biodiversity, and boost sustainable economic development. California makes history by becoming one of the first subnational governments, and the largest from the United States, to join the IUCN. 

This achievement follows California’s previously announced intent to join the global body in 2025, underscoring the state’s commitment to advancing climate action and protecting ecosystems — even as the Trump administration cuts good-paying clean energy jobs, weakens environmental safeguards, retreats from global efforts to cut pollution, and hands the global economy to our competitors.