The Government of California and the Scottish Government have signed a joint agreement which sees them commit to work with one another to fight climate change.

The agreement was signed on Monday by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and the Governor of California Edmund G Brown.



Among other things, the memorandum of understanding states both California and Scotland are looking to "capitalise on the huge potential of the Under2 MoU, the ambitious commitment to bold and decisive climate action covering over one billion people and over a third of the global economy to which both jurisdictions are signatories."



Signatories to the Under2 MoU agreement have committed to either cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 to 95 percent below 1990 levels or to limit emissions to less than two metric tons per capita by mid-century.



"Scotland is making huge progress in delivering our climate change ambitions, but we are not complacent and there is still much to achieve," Sturgeon said.

"Today's meeting strengthened our relationship with the Government of California and I'm confident we can work together to achieve the targets set out by the Under2 MoU," she added.

For its part, California has ambitious plans when it comes to renewable energy and climate change. The state has set itself the target of generating 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, and has committed to cutting petroleum use in cars and trucks by as much as 50 percent in the next 15 years.



Environmental groups welcomed the agreement.



"It is good to see climate action high on the agenda of Scotland's First Minister on her trip to the United States," Lou Leonard, WWF-U.S.'s senior vice president of Climate Change and Energy, said in a statement.



"This is a strong reminder that climate change is a priority for our allies around the world," Leonard added.