Newsom Abruptly Cancels Climate Conference Trip

Governor Gavin Newsom

Sacramento, CA – A surprising no-show as Governor Gavin Newsom skips the trip to the United Nations Climate Change Conference as he has made that his signature issue.

Newsom would have had a chance to share the world stage with global leaders while at the U.N. conference next week in Glasgow, Scotland, and tout his ambitious climate agenda. It includes a proposed ban on the sale of all new gas-powered cars in California by 2035, a ban on all oil drilling by 2045 and outlawing the sale of new gas-powered lawn equipment possibly by 2024.

With four children ages 5 to 12, governor’s office spokesperson Erin Mellon cited unspecified “family obligations,” but did not detail what those commitments were regarding. The governor was to lead a California delegation that included his wife, fifteen state lawmakers and some of the state’s top environmental regulators. Instead, Democratic Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis will head the delegation.

Mellon added that Newsom “will be participating virtually, focusing on California’s landmark climate change policies.”