Climate Justice

| Press Release

California oil industry subverts democracy, delays public health protections

Neighborhood Drilling in Kern County

SACRAMENTO — This week, the California Independent Petroleum Association announced that it has collected enough signatures to qualify a petition to overturn SB 1137, a law banning new oil drilling within 3,200 feet of sensitive sites like homes, schools, hospitals, and prisons. In response, The Climate Center CEO Ellie Cohen said: “Californians overwhelmingly support public … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels Public Health

California Climate Policy Summit 2023

Holiday Inn Downtown-Arena, 300 J Street, Sacramento, California, 95814
The Climate Center Board Member Dr. Venise Curry moderates a panel at the California Climate Policy Summit 2023. Photo by Lara Abduraman / Survival Media Agency.

Thank you to the nearly 300 people who joined us in Sacramento on April 11! Videos, photos, panel transcripts, and more are now available at the links below. Video, slides and transcripts View and download presentations and panel transcripts Photos from the 2023 California Climate Policy Summit All photos by Lara Abduraman from Survival Media … Read more

| Blog Post

What lackluster progress at COP27 means for California

Kurt Johnson, Clifford Rechtschaffen, Ellie Cohen, Siva Gunda,Barry Vesser, and Vincent Wiraatmadja at COP27

For The Climate Center, the UN’s 27th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) was an opportunity to host California policymakers at events to showcase California’s recent climate accomplishments and learn from others around the world. The outcome of the official UN proceedings, however, was a … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Community Energy Resilience
| Press Release

California’s new five-year climate plan relies on fantasy levels of engineered carbon removal — The Climate Center response

It's Time to Cut Carbon

SAN FRANCISCO — Moments ago, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its final Scoping Plan, the state’s five-year roadmap for achieving its climate goals. After months of consultation with climate experts and advocates, as well as intervention from Governor Newsom, the plan reflects some significant improvements. These include a commitment to avoid the buildout … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Clean Energy Climate Justice Fossil Fuels
| Take Action

It’s time for a windfall profits cap on greedy oil corporations

Cap Big Oil Windfall Profits - Save Money, Save Democracy

Update: On March 28, 2023 Governor Newsom signed SBX 1-2 into law, giving state regulators the power to penalize oil companies for making too much money, the first of its kind in the country. Under the new law, the California Energy Commission has the authority to impose a penalty if oil company profits surpassed a … Read more

Categories Climate Justice Fossil Fuels

The Real Impact of the Climate Crisis – Stories from the Frontlines

Neighborhood Oil Drilling Near School

This is the first webinar in the Envisioning a Climate-Safe California: Stories and Solutions series. As the consequences of inaction begin to mount, the human impacts of the climate crisis become more clear. We must ground ourselves in how our policymaking helps — or harms — people and communities as we forge the path toward … Read more

| Blog Post

A new website for The Climate Center, built with you in mind

To change everything, it takes everyone

‘To change everything, it takes everyone.’ I remember hearing and seeing this phrase everywhere during the first half of my career in climate advocacy, starting with the People’s Climate March in 2014.  Nearly a decade later, it’s still true. Big, systemic changes require people power. But for all we know about what needs to be … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Climate Justice

California Climate Policy Summit 2022

Sacramento State University
Ellie Cohen CA Climate Policy Summit

Accelerating action for a climate-safe future Scientists have repeatedly warned that California must act quickly to address the climate crisis or face more devastating fires, floods, heat waves, and drought. If we act now, we can secure clean air, abundant water, food security, and social equity. Our state has an opportunity to lead the world … Read more

Webinar: Climate Justice – The California reality and what you can do

An active oil derrick in Signal Hill, Los Angeles. Photo by Tara Pixley.

Our guests presented on the health, economic and other consequences of our fossil fuel economy on lower-income communities and people of color, current legislative efforts, including AB 345, to reduce the disproportionate impacts on these frontline communities, and what actions we can take to secure an equitable, healthy and vibrant Climate-Safe California. Presentations: Katie Valenzuela slides (PDF) … Read more

Webinar: Learning About a Just Transition

Presented in Partnership with Labor Network for Sustainability This webinar will explore lessons from past economic transitions and offer recommendations for how to approach the transition away from fossil fuel production and toward a clean energy economy. We will hear from co-authors of Workers and Communities in Transition, a report from the Just Transition Listening Project, and representatives … Read more