Gov. Jerry Brown got a lot of questions at the UN Climate Change Conference this week about whether the world can curb emissions without President Donald Trump's backing.
Speaking Monday at the COP23 in Bonn, Germany, Brown said the president's objections are a small part of the problem.
"The rest of the problem is us and we have the capacity so let's exercise our political will to get it done," he said.
Trump has rolled back Obama-era carbon emissions rules and says he will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.
Brown says other nations, local governments and corporations must continue to push for reducing carbon.
"And to the extent that [Trump] does less, you better do more, because it's your life too,” Brown said during a panel with governors from Oregon, Washington and Virginia, who have all agreed to work toward Paris Accord goals in spite of Trump rejecting them. “Do as much as you can wherever you are.”
California continues to enact its own climate policies, including a recent extension of its cap-and-trade program, Brown said.
The Trump Administration is participating in the conference. It sponsored a presentation promoting fossil fuels and nuclear power. Videos on Twitter show protesters disrupting the presentation singing an anti-coal version of "God Bless the U.S.A."
Syria signaled last week it will sign on to the Paris deal, making the U.S. the only country not to sign on.
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