| Press Release

California’s top oil and gas regulator steps down – The Climate Center response

SAN FRANCISCO — Yesterday, Supervisor Uduak-Joe Ntuk announced that he will be stepping down as leader of the California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM). Ntuk was appointed to the role — which oversees permitting for oil and gas drilling, public health and safety, and compliance with environmental regulations — by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019. … Read more

| Press Release

California formally adopts climate plan overly reliant on engineered carbon removal

SACRAMENTO — Moments ago, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) unanimously voted to adopt the final Scoping Plan, the state’s five-year roadmap for meeting its climate targets. While feedback from scientists and advocates has improved the plan significantly since the beginning of the year, gaps in CARB’s modeling and flaws in its approach to carbon … Read more

| Blog Post

Testimony: Recommendations for carbon sequestration on natural and working lands in California’s new climate plan

California Flag

On December 15, 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) held its final public hearing related to the Scoping Plan, the state’s five-year roadmap for meeting its climate targets. While feedback from scientists and advocates has improved the plan significantly since the beginning of the year, gaps in CARB’s modeling and flaws in its approach … Read more

| 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

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

| 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

| 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

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