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.
| Blog Post

Testimony: Cut fossil fuel subsidies, not climate investments

Oil drilling site. Photo via Canva.

On March 21, 2024, the California Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy met to hear from experts and the public on the proposed 2024-2025 state budget. Facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, Governor Newsom has proposed billions in potential cuts to climate and energy investments. If approved by the legislature, the cuts could … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Transportation
| Blog Post

Testimony: Save California’s clean air safety net

People protest before a public meeting of South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Hearing Board.

On February 29, 2024, the California Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, and Energy met to hear from experts and the public on the proposed 2024-2025 state budget. Facing a projected $73 billion budget deficit, Governor Newsom has proposed billions in potential cuts to climate and energy investments. If approved by the legislature, the … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Public Health Transportation
| Press Release

Facing budget deficit, Governor Newsom must eliminate all fossil fuel subsidies and tax breaks

Gavin Newsom by Charlie Kaijo

SACRAMENTO — Faced with a $38 billion budget deficit, Governor Newsom today announced additional proposed cuts to California’s climate and energy investments. If approved by the legislature, these cuts would bring California’s multi-year climate budget down to $48.3 billion from the $54 billion approved in 2022, an 11 percent reduction. Some of these cuts may … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels
| Blog Post

What We Learned at COP28: California Can and Must Do More on Climate

The Climate Center's Marc Victoria, Baani Behniwal, and Barry Vesser at COP28

Last November, The Climate Center’s Barry Vesser, Baani Behniwal, and Marc Victoria traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates for COP28 — the UN’s annual climate conference — to help coordinate the California delegation. With a record attendance of 84,000 people from 193 countries, this COP was massive. You may be wondering why The Climate Center, … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Climate Targets Fossil Fuels
| Press Release

COP28 fails to deliver fossil fuel phaseout plan, so California must

Baani Behniwal and Barry Vesser Dubai COP28

SAN FRANCISCO — COP28, the annual United Nations climate conference, has come to a close. While UN officials call the agreement reached the “beginning of the end” of fossil fuels, it still falls well short of what science says is necessary to limit global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as defined by the Paris Agreement.  In … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Climate Justice Fossil Fuels
| Report

Reforming California’s Cap and Trade Program Policy Brief

Analysis and Recommendations

Sacramento River. Photo via Canva.

Executive Summary and Key Recommendations The California Cap and Trade Program plays a pivotal role in the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A review of the program ahead of the upcoming 2025 compliance period has opened a critical window of opportunity to address and correct the program’s recognized shortcomings. In this policy brief, … Read more

Categories Climate Targets
| Press Release

Big Oil’s Q3 lobbying spending brings year-to-date total to $20.6 million in last-ditch effort to kill California climate bills

Oil and gas interests have spent more on lobbying than all of 2022 with one quarter remaining

Activists gather near an Inglewood Oil Field in Los Angeles, one of the largest contiguous urban oil fields in the country, to urge the Governor of California to take action to phase out fossil fuels, beginning with those within 2500 feet of homes and other sensitive sites.

SACRAMENTO — Lobbying disclosures from Quarter 3, representing lobbying between July 1 and September 30, 2023, show that oil companies and trade associations spent more than $7.2 million on influence-related activities in an all-out effort to kill California climate bills.  This brings the total year-to-date spending by Big Oil to more than $20.6 million, already … Read more

Categories Divestment Fossil Fuels
| Press Release

California awarded $1.2 billion for hydrogen program

SACRAMENTO, October 13, 2023 — Earlier today, Governor Newsom announced that California will receive up to $1.2 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy for the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) program.  ARCHES is a statewide, public-private partnership with the stated goal of accelerating renewable hydrogen projects and supporting California’s transition to … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Energy Efficiency Fossil Fuels
| Press Release

Governor Newsom signs suite of polluter accountability bills into law

COP26 Mobilization in Quezon City, Philippines

​​SACRAMENTO, October 7, 2023 — Moments ago, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a suite of bills passed by the California legislature designed to hold corporate climate polluters accountable. Bills signed by the governor today include: “Without transparency, there can be no accountability,” said Ryan Schleeter, Communications Director for The Climate Center. “We applaud Governor Newsom for … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Divestment Fossil Fuels
| Press Release

California launches precedent-setting lawsuit against Big Oil – The Climate Center response

Chevron is one of five oil corporations named alongside the American Petroleum Institute in California's landmark new climate case.

Update September 17, 2023: Speaking at a panel discussion on climate change in New York City on Sunday, Governor Newsom indicated that he will sign SB 253 (Wiener) and SB 261 (Stern), both of which are focused on corporate climate accountability. ### SACRAMENTO — Today, before thousands of people prepare to march in both New … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels