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
California Climate Policy Summit 2025 The fourth annual California Climate Policy Summit will be held on April 22, 2025 at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. More details are coming soon. California Climate Policy Summit 2024 Thank you to everyone who joined us for the third annual California Climate Policy Summit! We’re honored to have brought … Read more
The first time I remember learning about threats to our environment was in elementary school. The Amazon rainforest was introduced to me: a lush ecosystem spanning many countries, full of flora and fauna seen nowhere else on the globe, and home to many endangered and rare species. As a child, this place was full of … Read more
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
On October 7, 2023, Governor Newsom vetoed SB 842. SB 842 would have undermined the price gouging penalty passed at the beginning of 2023, which holds the oil industry accountable for excessively raising gasoline prices to pad their profits. In a last-minute deal reached just before the end of the legislative session, SB 842 was … Read more
Governor Newsom is taking on Big Oil in a big way. Recently, he announced that California is suing five of the largest oil corporations in the world — Exxon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and BP — as well as the American Petroleum Institute, for their decades of climate deception. This lawsuit is huge not only because … Read more
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
SACRAMENTO — Last night, the 2023 California legislative session came to a close. Critical pieces of climate legislation now awaiting Governor Newsom’s signature include: “In a year defined by record-breaking climate disasters across the globe, all eyes have been on California,” said Nicole Rivera, Government Affairs Director for The Climate Center. “State lawmakers stepped up … Read more
On October 7, 2023, Governor Newsom signed SB 253, SB 261, and AB 1167 into law to set stricter standards for corporate polluters. SB 253, the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, requires U.S.-based corporations doing business in California that make over $1 billion annually to publicly disclose their full carbon footprint. SB 261, the Climate-Related … Read more
On September 8, 2023, the United Nations released its first “stocktake” report on progress toward the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Those goals are to stay below 2 degrees Celsius of warming and strive to stay below 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels. The report states: “The first [stocktake] is taking … Read more
