US President Donald Trump has sharply criticised a new climate and clean energy agreement between California and the UK government, calling the deal “inappropriate” and questioning its chances of success. The memorandum of understanding, signed in London by California Governor Gavin Newsom and UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, aims to encourage collaboration on clean energy technology, including offshore wind, while creating potential jobs in the UK.

Trump took aim at Newsom, a leading Democratic figure and potential presidential candidate, calling him a “loser” and claiming that his environmental policies had failed. He warned that the UK risked repeating California’s perceived mistakes, citing long-term population declines in the state due to high living costs and taxes.

“The worst thing the UK can do is get involved with Gavin,” Trump told Politico. “If they did to the UK what he did to California, this will not be a very successful venture.”

The agreement commits California and the UK to joint work on research, clean-tech investment, and strategies for addressing extreme weather and environmental challenges.

The pact has already attracted nearly $1 billion in clean energy funding, including investments from UK-based Octopus Energy, underscoring California’s role as a hub for climate innovation.

“This government’s clean-energy mission is about taking control of energy, reducing bills, creating jobs, and tackling the climate crisis,” Miliband said.

“International partnerships like this strengthen opportunities for UK businesses and secure investment for the country.”

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Newsom, speaking during his European tour after attending the Munich Security Conference, defended the deal as a model for effective climate action.

“California is the best place in America to invest in a clean economy because we set ambitious goals and deliver results,” he said.

“Today we deepened our partnership with the UK and welcomed nearly a billion dollars in clean tech investment. California will continue demonstrating how innovation can drive climate solutions.”

The dispute follows Trump’s recent decision to revoke the 2009 “endangerment finding,” which supported emissions regulations for vehicles, industry, and power plants, describing it as “the single largest deregulatory action in American history.”

Meanwhile, California has joined 11 other states in signing climate agreements with the UK, reinforcing its commitment to net-zero emissions even as federal policy shifts.

The California-UK pact illustrates the growing role of subnational governments in global climate action and highlights the stark differences in approach between state-level initiatives and federal policy