"If the President is going to be AWOL in this profoundly important human endeavor, then California and other states will step up," Gov. Jerry Brown said. | Getty Washington, California, New York band together to form climate alliance

In the wake of President Donald Trump's announcement he will pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, the governors of California, Washington and New York have agreed to form an alliance aimed at meeting the U.S. climate goals.

The new coalition, called the United States Climate Alliance, will serve as a way for states interested in dealing with climate change to coordinate, according to a press release. The three states make up about a fifth of U.S. population and GDP. They also produced 11 percent of U.S. emissions in 2014, according to the Energy Information Administration.


"If the President is going to be AWOL in this profoundly important human endeavor, then California and other states will step up," Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement.

Climate warriors have turned their attention to states, cities and businesses to take up carbon reduction slack where the federal government has left off.