California - the US state whose economy ranks as the fifth largest in the world - has approved a $54bn (£47bn) climate package that includes sweeping new restrictions on oil and gas drilling as well as a mandate to move away from fossil fuels by 2045.

Legislators also voted to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant, by five years, after warning the state could face rolling blackouts if the facility's twin reactors were retired too soon. At the moment, the plant is still the state's largest source of power, providing roughly 9 per cent of its energy. 

The legislation, known as Senate Bill 1137, is part of California governor Gavin Newsom's ambitious climate pledge, which has established a target for the state to be powered 90 per cent with clean electricity from 2035. Under the new legislation, the state will have to cut greenhouse gases by at least 85 per cent by 2045, while offsetting any remaining emissions...