In the absence of federal climate leadership, California has been a crucial player in developing and implementing a broad suite of clean energy and low-carbon incentives and policies, while maintaining a fairly robust economy and green jobs creation. Tom Hayden outlines just how far down the path California is, how the state’s influence is being felt nationally and globally, and where we can go from here. Hayden, one of the leading figures of the student, civil rights, anti-war and environmental movements of the 1960s, went on to serve 18 years in the California legislature, where he chaired labor, higher education and natural resources committees. Director of the Peace and Justice Resource Center, he continues to be a leading voice for peace.

This speech was given at the California Climate Leadership Intensive, which was hosted by Bioneers as a supplement to the Bioneers 2014 Annual Conference.