As Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenneger was elected following the recall of Gray Davis. Despite having never held public office, Schwarzenneger was familiar to the public from his years as a champion body builder and Hollywood action film icon. While in office, Schwarzenegger signed the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 which required in law a sharp reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the first program in the country to take a comprehensive, long-term approach to addressing climate change while maintaining a robust economy. He continued to address global warming through signing a series of executive orders and bills that aimed to reduce California's greenhouse gas emissions to 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050.
Schwarzenegger is now hosting "The New Celebrity Apprentice." He founded R20 Regions of Climate Action, a non-profit coalition of various private and public institutions which assists sub-national governments in implementing climate-resilient projects.