With his international reputation as a climate leader at stake, Gov. Jerry Brown moved Tuesday to defend his efforts to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program, which the veteran Democrat described in an interview as a crucial method to reduce emissions from greenhouse gases.

“If we don’t get it, it’d be a tragedy for California, and for the world,” Brown said. “Because from China, to the European Union, people are looking to the California cap-and-trade program.”

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Over the last several weeks, observed Michael Wara, a professor of environmental law at Stanford University who worked on a rival bill, “it’s been interesting to see who really wants cap and trade.”

“The answer is Gov. Jerry Brown,” Wara said. “And the industry has been willing to exploit that … it’s written all over the bill.”