Ryan Schleeter

Ryan Schleeter (he/him/his) is the Communications Director for The Climate Center, working to build the movement for a Climate-Safe California. Prior to The Climate Center, Ryan led communications for Greenpeace USA’s climate campaigns and worked for the World Resources Institute’s sustainable cities program. He’s the co-author of a chapter on values-based communications approaches for mobilizing climate action in the forthcoming anthology "Framing New Worlds: Resistance Narratives From 21st Century Social Movements" and a graduate researcher at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. His writing has also appeared in National Geographic, Grist, and more. He grew up in the Bay Area and currently lives on Ohlone land in San Francisco, California. Follow Ryan on Twitter @ryschlee.
| Report

Carbon Dioxide Removal in California

A practical guide for policymakers and the public

Forest. Photo via Canva.

California is entering a pivotal moment in its fight against the climate crisis, one that demands not only accelerating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, but also confronting carbon pollution left behind since the Industrial Revolution. These long-lived legacy emissions will continue to impact the climate, even when society has successfully decarbonized across sectors. The … Read more

Categories Carbon Drawdown Natural Carbon Sequestration
| Press Release

Governor Newsom vetoes bill to expand virtual power plants – The Climate Center response

SACRAMENTO, October 6, 2025 — Late on Friday, October 3, 2025, Governor Newsom vetoed AB 740 (Harabedian), co-sponsored by The Climate Center, Advanced Energy United, and Environment California.  The bill would have accelerated the use of virtual power plants (VPPs), which are networks of clean, distributed energy resources like smart thermostats, home batteries, rooftop solar, … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience Energy Efficiency
| Blog Post

Pooja Agarwal joins The Climate Center as the Community Energy Resilience Policy Manager

Pooja Agarwal

My introduction to climate work started with a pretty eye-opening discovery in my middle school cafeteria. As part of our sixth-grade service learning project, my classmates and I had to identify a problem impacting our public school and come up with a solution. My team and I figured we’d tackle something environmental — we had … Read more

Categories Community Energy Resilience
| Blog Post

The ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda arrives in California

Activists with Greenpeace, Oil & Gas Action Network and Regenerating Paradise gather at a burn scar site in the North Complex Fire urging Governor Newsom to take immediate action to phase out fossil fuels and end neighborhood drilling.

Just one year ago, fossil fuel corporations were forced to withdraw a California ballot measure that would have canceled public health protections for communities near oil and gas drilling operations. Today, those same corporations are fighting back with a vengeance, laying the groundwork to expand drilling on land and at sea in California.   Since losing … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Just Transition
| Blog Post

Testimony: Virtual Power Plants can deliver clean and cheap electricity

On July 15, 2025, the California Senate Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee voted to advance AB 740 (Harabedian), a bill to scale up the use of virtual power plants (VPPs) in California. VPPs are networks of clean, distributed energy resources like smart thermostats, home batteries, smart plugs, electric water heaters, and electric vehicles. When aggregated, … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience Energy Efficiency
| Blog Post

California needs an energy transition that benefits communities, workers, and the climate

Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery in Wilmington. Photo by Emmett Institute / Flickr.

Early this past Saturday morning, I woke up with my heart racing, wondering why so many people had to die in the horrific, climate-fueled flooding in Texas last Friday. And why so many more will suffer from the cruel, big, ugly bill signed into law by the president over the weekend — a bill that … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Just Transition
| Post

Polluters have already spent $9 million to block California climate action this year

Big Oil’s record-breaking lobbying spending is delaying climate action in California (again). Oil and gas corporations operating in California spent more than $9 million to influence the state legislature in the first three months of 2025 alone. Chevron and the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), the top lobbying spenders from 2024, each spent more than … Read more

Categories Fossil Fuels
| Press Release

California is facing a historic budget deficit. Making polluters pay is the solution. 

Activists and lawmakers gather for the Make Polluters Pay rally in fall of 2024. Photo by Ryan Schleeter.

SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled his May budget revision, which outlines his plans to address a historic deficit estimated at $12 billion.  In response, Barry Vesser, Chief Operating Officer for The Climate Center, said: “California is in a budget crisis. Making Polluters Pay is the solution. The state cannot afford to continue giving … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels
| Report

Reforming California’s Cap and Trade Program

Analysis and Recommendations

Sacramento River. Photo via Canva.

The California Cap and Trade Program plays a pivotal role in the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program is currently under review to incorporate updated emissions inventory data and the increased emissions reduction targets adopted in the 2022 Scoping Plan. The revised regulations will determine emissions targets, budgets, and potential reforms for … Read more

Categories Climate Targets