A dry landscape with desert plants and mountains in the distance.

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California and Sonora sign agreement to boost clean energy and climate collaboration

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sonora Gov. Alfonso Durazo Montaño have signed a four-year agreement to strengthen cross-border clean energy efforts and improve supply chain resilience.

Sharon Udasin reports for The Hill.

In short:

The agreement focuses on expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring reliable electricity access in both regions.
California officials will collaborate with Sonora on supply chain development and research into clean energy and electric mobility.
The partnership comes amid U.S. trade tensions, with California exploring ways to import renewable energy from Sonora.

Key quote:

“Despite the border that divides us, California and Sonora share the common challenge of adapting to a hotter, drier world. But we also share a common drive to advance real solutions.”

— Gavin Newsom, governor of California

Why this matters:

California and Sonora face intensifying climate challenges, from droughts to extreme weather, that threaten energy systems and economies. Cross-border collaboration could help stabilize clean energy infrastructure and strengthen supply chains for critical technology like electric vehicles.

This cross-border collaboration comes at a time of political friction. California’s aggressive climate policies have often diverged from the federal government’s approach, and trade policies under President Trump’s administration continue to shift. As California moves ahead with its green energy goals, federal tariffs, trade restrictions, and shifting diplomatic strategies could complicate the path forward. The agreement underscores the push-and-pull between state-led climate action and federal economic policy, raising questions about how much autonomy states have in shaping international environmental cooperation.

thehill.com

Credit: Douglas Fischer

One lawyer's groundbreaking work in shaping climate law

As governments stall and emissions climb, human rights lawyers like Monica Feria-Tinta are turning to the courts to force climate action — one tree, island, or river at a time.

Samira Shackle reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Feria-Tinta is pioneering legal strategies that argue climate inaction violates human rights, helping Indigenous and vulnerable communities take their cases to global courts.
Her work includes landmark victories like the Torres Strait case, where the United Nations ruled Australia failed to protect islanders from climate harm, and Ecuador’s Los Cedros forest, which won legal rights as a living entity.
While legal wins are often slow and hard-fought, they’re shifting the global legal landscape, transforming courts into battlegrounds where climate justice and biodiversity now have a voice.

Key quote:

“Whether it’s a single tree, or a whole community depending on a river, what is at stake is the future of humanity.”

— Monica Feria-Tinta

Why this matters:

As heat, floods, and displacement intensify, the courtroom has become a potent line of defense. Climate litigation can hold powerful players accountable, push policy change, and help protect the ecosystems our health depends on — even when other systems fail. These legal wins are slow, complex, and anything but guaranteed. But they’re a signal that the courtroom is becoming one of the last places where the planet still stands a fighting chance.

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