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What are the main climate actions Gavin Newsom announced in 2020 and 2021?
Executive Summary
Governor Gavin Newsom’s headline climate actions in 2020 centered on zero-emission vehicle mandates and nature-based conservation, and in 2021 he pursued large-scale spending and legislative packages to harden climate resilience. Specifically, Newsom announced an executive order to require all new passenger cars and trucks sold in California to be zero-emission by 2035 and a “30 by 30” goal to conserve 30% of state lands and coastal waters by 2030 in 2020; in 2021 his administration rolled out a roughly $15 billion climate package and signed multiple climate bills to fund wildfire, drought, and resilience programs [1] [2] [3] [4]. These moves drew praise for ambition and criticism for gaps on oil-and-gas phase-out and frontline protections, setting a pattern of regulatory goals paired with major budgetary investments [5] [6].
1. Big Promises: The 2035 Zero-Emission Auto Order and 30x30 Conservation Push
In September–October 2020 Newsom issued sweeping executive orders: one mandating that all new in-state sales of passenger cars and trucks be zero-emission by 2035, and another committing California to conserve at least 30% of its lands and coastal waters by 2030 as a nature-based carbon strategy. The zero-emission vehicle order was positioned as a core emissions-cutting tool with regulators directed to implement sales rules, while the 30x30 pledge emphasized healthy soils, wetlands restoration, active forest management and urban green infrastructure to store and remove carbon [1] [7]. These 2020 actions combined regulatory targets with ecosystem-based solutions and aligned California with a global conservation movement [1].
2. Money Talks: The 2021 $15 Billion Climate Spending and Legislative Push
In 2021 Newsom pivoted from executive orders to large fiscal commitments, unveiling what his office described as a historic $15 billion package to tackle wildfire and forest resilience, drought and water resilience, climate resilience, climate-smart agriculture, and zero-emission vehicles. The package reportedly allocated roughly $1.5 billion for wildfire and forest resilience, $5.2 billion for water and drought resilience, $3.7 billion for climate resilience, $1.1 billion for climate-smart agriculture, and $3.9 billion for zero-emission vehicles, paired with the signing of two dozen climate and clean energy bills [3] [4]. The 2021 strategy underlined a bipartisan rationale focused on infrastructure, community protection, and accelerating the clean vehicle transition through incentives and spending.
3. Implementation Questions: Praise, Skepticism, and Missing Steps
Outside groups and watchdogs praised ambition but flagged implementation and equity gaps. Environmental advocates endorsed the 30x30 conservation goal and VE mandate, while climate justice organizations and watchdog reports criticized insufficient action on phasing out oil and gas production, continued issuance of new drilling permits, and weak protections for frontline communities. A January 2021 assessment graded Newsom poorly for stopping new oil permits and rolling out safety buffers, warning that executive orders alone do not equate to dismantling fossil fuel infrastructure or guaranteeing a just transition for workers and affected communities [5]. The tension was between headline commitments and the slower, politically fraught regulatory and permitting work to back them up.
4. Complementary Measures: Climate Corps, Salmon Restoration, and Nature-Based Focus
Beyond mandates and budgets, Newsom’s 2020–2021 portfolio included programs meant to operationalize goals: the California Climate Action Corps to coordinate local projects, a nature-based solutions initiative to maximize land carbon benefits, and agreements like the Klamath River salmon restoration plan which included dam removals as part of ecosystem resilience. These efforts illustrate a multi-pronged approach that combined workforce development, habitat restoration, and species recovery with climate objectives, signaling integration of biodiversity and emissions goals rather than purely emissions-focused policy [2] [1]. Such measures broaden the administration’s climate framing but also require long timelines and cross-agency coordination.
5. The Bottom Line: Ambitious Targets, Heavy Spending, and Political Limits
Newsom’s record in 2020 and 2021 shows clear ambition—regulatory deadlines, conservation targets, and unprecedented state spending—but also exposes the limits of executive orders without sustained regulatory reforms and enforcement. The administration paired the 2035 zero-emission vehicle mandate and 30x30 conservation goal with a $15 billion climate investment and numerous bills, yet watchdog analyses see ongoing production of oil and gas permits and inadequate frontline protections, highlighting a policy gap between stated goals and on-the-ground outcomes [3] [5]. The net effect through 2021 was a strong policy direction and resource commitment, tempered by critiques that the most politically challenging elements—phasing out extraction and ensuring equitable transitions—remained incompletely addressed [6] [5].