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.
| Press Release

Governor Newsom reveals $32 billion climate investment package — The Climate Center response

SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Newsom released his May budget revision — the “California Blueprint” — which outlines his administration’s plans for spending California’s $49 billion discretionary surplus. The plan includes $32 billion for climate initiatives over five years, including $16 billion to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, $8 billion for clean energy, $970 million … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Transportation
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Scientists and academics respond to draft California Air Resources Board Scoping Plan

LOS ANGELES — Scientists and academics from across California today joined advocates criticizing a plan released by the California Air Resources Board for reaching carbon neutrality, saying the plan is a setback for the state and the world. The Draft Scoping Plan makes no changes to the emission reduction targets adopted in 2017, despite Governor … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Climate Targets
| Press Release

CARB’s latest climate proposal flouts scientists’ warnings: 2045 is too late

Protect Our Home

During an April 20 workshop, staff at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) recommended that the agency pursue a pathway to carbon neutrality by 2045, requiring little immediate action to reduce climate pollution. CARB must adopt a Final Scoping Plan before the end of 2022, which will determine the direction of California’s climate policy for … Read more

Categories Clean Energy
| Press Release

Bill to set nation’s first-ever targets for naturally removing past climate pollution passes out of California Assembly Natural Resources Committee

SACRAMENTO, April 26, 2022 — By a 7-3 vote, the Natural Carbon Sequestration and Resilience Act (AB 2649) advanced out of the California Assembly Natural Resources Committee on Monday evening. AB 2649 aims to set California’s first-ever statutory targets for naturally removing past climate pollution from the atmosphere through soil and vegetation on natural, urban, … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Climate Targets
| Press Release

The Natural Carbon Sequestration and Resilience Act of 2022: New bill introduced by The Climate Center and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia

healthy soils

SACRAMENTO, March 22, 2022 — Today, The Climate Center and Assemblymember Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) introduced the Natural Carbon Sequestration and Resilience Act of 2022 (AB 2649). The bill aims to set California’s first-ever statutory targets for naturally removing past climate pollution from the atmosphere through soil and vegetation on natural, urban, and working lands.  … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Climate Targets
| Press Release

ADVISORY: Meet with lawmakers, scientists, and advocates at the California Climate Policy Summit 2022

SACRAMENTO, March 21, 2022 — The California Climate Policy Summit, hosted by The Climate Center on April 18, 2022, brings together elected and business leaders, policy experts, activists, and environmental justice advocates to build support for bold climate policy commensurate with what science tells us is necessary to avert even more devastating climate impacts. What: … Read more

Categories Clean Energy
| Press Release

‘We need to be fighting polluters’ – Governor Newsom outlines climate vision in State of the State address

SACRAMENTO, March 8, 2022 — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom gave his annual State of the State address before legislators in Sacramento. In his speech, the governor spoke of the need to confront corporate polluters, build on California’s historic leadership on clean energy technologies, and once again outlined a broad vision for ending the era of … Read more

Categories Fossil Fuels
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ADVISORY: Media briefing on natural carbon removal solutions and California policy

Sheep grazing agriculture working lands sequestration

March 4, 2022 — Every scenario in which we limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined in the Paris agreement, involves dramatically cutting emissions and removing existing carbon pollution from the atmosphere. In order to achieve the latter, California policymakers are considering a wide variety of potential solutions, ranging from natural carbon removal … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Climate Targets
| Press Release

CPUC delays vote on new solar rules ‘indefinitely’ in win for energy and justice advocates

Save My Solar Job

February 4, 2022 — After months of debate surrounding the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) proposed rule changes regarding solar energy and storage, a judge on the commission announced Thursday that the matter “will not appear on the Commission’s voting meeting agenda until further notice.” In response, The Climate Center CEO Ellie Cohen said: “This … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Climate Justice Community Energy Resilience
| Press Release

New analysis: California’s working lands could absorb up from atmosphere equivalent of one-quarter of the state’s annual carbon emissions

Cattle Grazing Pasture

Santa Rosa, California, January 25, 2022 — A new report from California-based policy nonprofit The Climate Center finds that California’s working lands can sequester up to 100 million metric tons (MMT) of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year. That’s far more than previously estimated and enough to absorb almost one-quarter of the state’s annual greenhouse … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Climate Targets