SACRAMENTO – Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday met with Osaka Gov. Ichiro Matsui in Sacramento, signing an agreement to further strengthen California’s relationship with its sister state in Japan.
The leaders discussed trade, investment, tourism and education and cultural exchanges between California and Osaka Prefecture, which have been sister states since 1994, and their shared commitment to combating climate change.
Just as he did in meetings with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and China’s President Xi Jinping last weekend, Brown shared the recently released consensus statement on climate change, a document that translates key scientific findings from disparate fields into one unified message for policymakers, industry and the general public. The statement has been signed by hundreds of concerned scientists around the world and aims to improve the nexus between scientific research and political action on climate change.
The Memorandum of Understanding reads, in part: “Osaka Prefecture and California are economically complementary and … there exists significant potential to advance and strengthen economic and social ties. California has the highest gross state product in the United States … and is the ninth-largest economy in the world. Osaka Prefecture has a population of 8.8 million and is the 29th-largest economy in the world. Accordingly, both governments agree:
“I. To support and encourage economic and trade cooperation between California and Osaka Prefecture in the following key areas: clean energy, environmental protection, information technology, bio-tech, manufacturing, tourism.
“II. To support and encourage cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting low carbon development.
“III. To support and encourage their people and governments to further develop interpersonal contacts and exchanges, and to promote mutual understanding and friendship.
“IV. To promote exchange programs between universities and other educational institutions.
“V. That California will designate the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development and that Osaka Prefecture will designate the International Affairs Division to coordinate trade and investment relations between Osaka Prefecture and California.”
