Asm. Rivas to Join Assembly Delegation at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – In December of 2019, Assemblymember Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) will be among a small group of legislators to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Madrid, Spain. The delegation hopes to share the California story on combatting climate change and find inspiration for new ideas and practices from colleagues around the world that can be adapted here in America’s largest state.
“The timeline in which we can still take meaningful steps towards adaptation and mitigation in the face of climate change should keep all of us up at night,” Rivas said. “The economic, health and public costs of inaction and denial is not an option.”
"Climate change affects everything,” said Kate Roberts, President & CEO, Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP). “Assemblymember Rivas has fought hard to pass important legislation to protect our coasts and environmental justice communities. Through his experience at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, his input will become invaluable to our community-focused efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change in our region. He will be an instrumental partner as we continue to develop and implement a Regional Climate Action Plan, and we look forward to working with him to drive towards outcomes in this important area."
"It's critical for California leaders like Assemblymember Rivas to step up and lead the charge on climate action as the US federal government backtracks on the Paris Agreement," said Sejal Choksi-Chugh, executive director of San Francisco Baykeeper, a non-profit sponsor of one of Rivas' successful environmental bills.  "He has proven he can drive California to protect our waters from oil spills and empower local communities to fight environmental injustice, and that's the kind of leadership needed at a global scale to tackle the climate crisis that affects us all."
At the Convention, Rivas will speak on a panel about California’s ocean protection policy and the importance of giving Latino communities a voice in that discussion. “California has long been a leader in addressing climate change, but we can and should do more,” he explained. “Beyond simply setting goals, we need to learn more about best practices to help our communities achieve those goals.”
“I’m proud to be a part of California’s Assembly delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where I look forward to meeting and collaborating with leaders from around the world to define and commit to taking the steps necessary to secure a sustainable future for our communities and economies. California is certainly committed to being part of the climate solution and we hope to show the world that we remain steadfast global partners and will continue to take action to address this mounting crisis.”