Kevin Rudd says he will never apologise for his 2007 climate change warning

The former PM turned US ambassador has stuck to his guns on one burning issue while hailing a new agreement with California.

Kevin Rudd has revived his declaration that climate change is the greatest moral challenge of our time, saying he would never apologise for the warning he issued in 2007 even though it doomed his prime ministership when he abandoned his signature carbon pricing scheme.

The US ambassador, who unveiled a climate pact between Australia and California with Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, said he was “ridiculed” for his comments at the time.

“I make no apology for saying it then and I make no apology for repeating it now, because it is,” Dr Rudd said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, left, and Kevin Rudd in front of the Leland Stanford Mansion before signing a joint climate and energy pact in Sacramento, California.

He hailed the new agreement with California – which boasts an economy that is twice as large as Australia and bigger than all but four countries – as crucial to combating the “ever-expanding climate crisis”.

In particular, Dr Rudd thanked Mr Newsom for California’s ambitious plan to sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2035, saying it was “changing America and it’s changing the world”.

Under the memorandum of understanding, the Australian and Californian governments will co-operate on clean energy, transportation and technology solutions, as well as climate adaptation initiatives, green finance, and research and development.

Great to catch up with California Governor @GavinNewsom. CA & 🇦🇺 have a close economic & environmental partnership, & shared interests in climate, tech, & entertainment. 60k Aussies live in CA & 400+ 🇦🇺 businesses active in this economy. You're always welcome down under Governor. pic.twitter.com/2vAddXGPa2

— Kevin Rudd AC (@AmboRudd) May 2, 2023

Dr Rudd said the pact would also bolster crisis response arrangements, with firefighters already crossing the Pacific to assist in bushfire emergencies.

“It’s not just a bunch of pearly words, it’s not just a bunch of empty phrases,” he said.

“It’s about a program of action between us in order to take what we currently do and accelerate it, turbocharge it to a whole new level.”

“Together, we can do enormously good things in the world.”

Kevin Rudd and California Governor Gavin Newsom meet along with their delegations at the Leland Stanford Mansion.

Mr Newsom, who described Australia as America’s most important partner, said California was determined to “dominate” the economic opportunities in the clean energy transition.

“We have to move. It’s about the great implementation – it’s not about ambition any longer,” he said.

“I don’t know of any goals that we haven’t yet established. We’ve just got to deliver now, we’ve got to move with the speed that is required of this moment.”

Dr Rudd, in his first stint as prime minister, pursued an emissions trading scheme as the centrepiece of his climate policy. But it was defeated in the Senate, and after the disastrous 2009 Copenhagen climate summit, the government put the policy on ice.

Support for Dr Rudd plummeted and he was replaced by Julia Gillard within weeks.