Monday morning, I attended a panel discussion with five governors from U.S. States: California (Governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger), Oregon (Governor Kate Brown), Virginia (Governor Terry McAuliffe), and Washington (Governor Jay Inslee). I had the good fortune to be seated front and center, and my proximity to these leaders of consequence was riveting. The moderator of the panel, Christiana Figueres, is the former Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, and the questions that she asked illustrated her understanding of the issues surrounding climate change.Though the United States’ official presence and involvement at COP23 is limited as a result of our impending withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the U.S. Climate Action Center, and many of the other meetings, negotiations, and side events at COP23 have focused on the steps being taken by subnational actors in the U.S. to combat climate change. The work that the Governors on the aforementioned panel have been doing have been an integral part of these steps, and Christiana’s questions were geared towards a discussion about subnational climate action in the U.S. There were three main takeaways that I got from their discussion: U.S. States will continue to show leadership in combatting climate change, regardless of what our Federal Government does; job creation, economic growth, and engagement with disenfranchised and underserved communities will expand as a result of state-level climate policies; and despite the messaging, climate action is an issue with broad bipartisan support. Here are some of the quotes I thought captured the vibe from the panel the best:

Kate Brown: “I believe in the power of “we”. Through moving forward with the power of partnerships, we can make a difference.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger: “Bringing back coal is like bringing back Blockbuster or something.”

Jerry Brown: “So what if the US isn’t leading? The fact is climate change is real, and other countries can do what they can do, regardless of US leadership. The rest of the world has to carry the ball while we’re sidelined in the US. But, don’t blame Trump. He’s a small part of the problem. The rest of the problem is us! We have to change our behavior, and way of living, to get this done.”

Jay Inslee: “These aren’t dark days, these are great days. This is our fight, and our finest hour.”

Terry McAuliffe: “VOTE!”

The leadership, drive, and commitment to climate action that I saw exhibited by subnational actors during the past week was inspiring, and reminded me that there are many people in the U.S., as well as abroad, who are committed to doing what is right. Though the Governors were only five people on a stage, they represent just over 59 million Americans (~18.3% of the U.S. population). Their presence reaffirms the commitment of the politicians, people, and businesses of these states, and many others, to take action and move towards a sustainable future, regardless of the void left by Washington D.C.