Gov. Jerry Brown recently welcomed the states of Aguascalientes, Mexico and Victoria, Australia to the Under2 Coalition – a global pact among cities, states and countries to limit the increase in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius, the level of potentially catastrophic consequences.

“California will continue to join with leaders across the globe – including our partners in Mexico – to stop climate pollution,” Brown said.

The Under2 Coalition includes 167 jurisdictions representing more than one billion people and $25.9 trillion in combined gross domestic product – more than one-third of the global economy. Victoria is Australia’s second most populous state, includes the city of Melbourne and covers nearly 90,000 square miles. Aguascalientes is located in north-central Mexico and is home to more than 1 million people. The Under2 Coalition, a collective of governments that have signed or endorsed the Under2 MOU, was formed in 2015 by the states of California and Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The goal was to bring together like-minded city, state and regional governments around the globe. Coalition members pledge to limit greenhouse gas emissions to 2 tons per capita, or 80-95 percent below 1990 levels, by 2050.

Aguascalientes leaders also signed an agreement with the California Energy Commission to cooperate on clean energy programs and policies, including energy efficiency, renewable energy development and grid integration, low and zero-emission vehicles and clean energy technology. For information, visit under2MOU.org.