Amid federal climate rollbacks, California brought together global partners to accelerate solutions

Above: MCAP attendees visit locations in Los Angeles utilizing concrete alternatives that keep surface temperatures cooler to combat extreme heat.

What you need to know: At a time when national climate leadership is lacking, California convened global partners to share what's working on the ground - allowing regions to learn from each other to tackle similar challenges at home.

LOS ANGELES - Last week, California brought together leaders from around the world whose climates are similar to California's to share solutions and strengthen partnerships addressing the real impacts of climate change.

Leaders from five continents met in Los Angeles for the third convening of the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership (MCAP)-a subnational alliance focused on practical, on-the-ground solutions that can be applied locally and scaled globally.

"We're not debating climate change-we're living it. None of us have the luxury of time. This is about building partnerships, sharing what works and focusing on real, practical projects that protect people and communities." - Governor Gavin Newsom

Mediterranean climate regions-including parts of California, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas-share similar climate conditions and risks. Together, these regions are home to more than 600 million people and some of the world's most important ecosystems.

As co-lead of the partnership, the California Natural Resources Agency helped bring this work together-connecting global partners and highlighting solutions already underway across California's communities.

"Mounting climate impacts like wildfire, drought and heat waves are a clear and present danger to our residents," said California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. "We need to move more quickly than ever to protect our people and places. By working with governments around the world confronting similar threats, we are learning and sharing what works best and helping each other move further and faster to build our resilience to these threats."

Photo: MCAP's Learning Labs visited sites in Los Angeles implementing strategies around extreme heat, drought and wildfire resilience.

Throughout the MCAP event, leaders participated in "Living Labs" across Los Angeles County-seeing firsthand how climate solutions are being put into practice in California. Site visits focused on cooling neighborhoods, rebuilding after wildfire, and expanding water reuse and drought solutions. These site visits underscored a key takeaway: while climate impacts are global, solutions are often local-developed in communities and strengthened through shared learning across regions.

Leaders from Chile's Biobío region-where a series of wildfires in January 2026 killed at least 21 people, injured dozens and destroyed hundreds of structures-toured Altadena, where communities are still recovering after the devastating firestorms of January 2025 that destroyed thousands of homes and killed 31 people. They saw rebuilding efforts underway, including new approaches to reduce risk and better protect neighborhoods, drawing direct connections to their own recovery work.

"As we work to recover after the wildfires that devastated our communities in Biobío, we must rethink how we plan and build," said Biobío's Director of the Division of Regional Planning and Development, Javier Carrasco Eade. "From what we saw in Altadena - including buffer zones and fuel breaks - to new ideas like using wetlands to retain water, we're taking these solutions home to improve resilience and better protect our most vulnerable communities."

The convening also emphasized that when political and policy challenges make agreement harder, local leaders must stay grounded in their communities - building trust and creating solutions that people can see, shape and support.

In France's Occitanie region, and Morocco's Tanger-Tetuán-Al Hoceïma region, focusing on community includes giving residents a direct voice in climate policy and investments-allowing people to vote on projects in their communities, from parks to schools, helping guide funding decisions and build public support for action.

"Our approach is rooted in participation - involving communities in shaping public policy and decision-making," said the Regional Council of Tanger-Tetuán-Al Hoceïma's General Director of Services, Dr. Rabiah El Khamlichi. "By giving people a voice in planning and access to transparent information, we can build stronger, more resilient regions together."

"It's important to act with people, not just for them," said France's Vice President of the Regional Government of Occitanie, Nadia Pellefigue. "Now more than ever, we have to act-guided by science and with people at the center of our decisions."

The convening also emphasized that when political and policy challenges make it harder to reach agreement, leaders must stay grounded in the science behind a changing climate-which clearly shows the risks communities face and the need to act now.

"Science is not an opinion," said Pellefigue. "It's how we take action."

MCAP is already turning collaboration into action. The partnership recently launched a "Solutions Bank"-a new tool that helps regions take proven climate solutions and put them into practice, with clear guidance on funding, design and implementation.

"This is about more than sharing ideas," said Sam Carter, Founding Principal of Resilient Cities Catalyst and Head of the MCAP Secretariat. "We're building a playbook so regions can actually implement solutions-how to fund them, how to build them, and how to scale them."

Together, these efforts reflect a broader shift from planning to doing-where regions and states are not just learning from one another but actively applying solutions on the ground. When top-down action falls short, regions and states are stepping up-sharing what works, scaling practical solutions and delivering real results for communities in California and around the world.\

Watch our Secretary Speaker Series featuring live interviews from MCAP.

About the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership (MCAP)

The Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership (MCAP) is a global alliance of regions with Mediterranean climates working together to adapt to climate change and build resilience. Launched in 2023 at COP28, the partnership includes 16 member regions across five continents facing shared challenges like drought, wildfire and extreme heat.

Above: California Conservation Corpsmembers host MCAP and demonstrate community hardening efforts taking place at Pasadena's Lower Arroyo Park.