On February 26, 2025, the California Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies held a hearing on the state’s Cap and Trade program. California’s Cap and Trade program. The program is supposed to be one of the most effective tools California has for both reducing climate pollution and generating funds to invest in climate solutions. … Read more
Big Oil spent a record $38 million on lobbying in California in 2024 to obstruct climate progress, shattering its 2017 record by 31 percent. The Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) and Chevron, which together accounted for 83 percent of the industry’s expenditure in 2024, broke their previous spending record, with a combined $31.6 million last … Read more
California’s Cap and Trade program, historically a cornerstone of the state’s efforts to reduce climate pollution, is likely to see significant reforms as part of a reauthorization process in 2025. The program is currently authorized to run through 2030, but the long process of reviewing it has begun. While oil companies are pushing to extend … Read more
The fossil-fueled Los Angeles fires are a heart-wrenching reminder of what the world is in for as we speed past 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming. Climate disasters have outpaced our ability to deal with them. As recovery efforts get underway in Los Angeles, rebuilding for more resilience is paramount, especially in the face of federal … Read more
As wildfires rage across Southern California and tens of thousands of people are evacuated (including our own staff members), oil and gas companies continue to wreck the climate while enjoying huge profits. This is the backdrop of a new report by The Climate Center, which reveals that a California tax policy called the “Water’s Edge … Read more
Accelerating climate action will help California address the rising costs of food, electricity, and insurance. Collaborating with partners across the state, The Climate Center is working to pass laws in 2025 that hold Big Oil and corporate utilities accountable, support clean, local energy, and responsibly draw down past carbon pollution. Right now, oil and gas … Read more
Join us at the fourth annual California Climate Policy Summit on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Sacramento. Collaborate with state decision-makers, elected officials, climate activists, environmental justice advocates, business leaders, scientists, and policy experts to build power across California in support of science-based climate policies. Learn what visionary climate leaders are doing to accelerate the … Read more
This week, California lawmakers met for a special legislative session to address affordability in California while also budgeting funds to defend against Trump’s likely attacks on climate action. So far, the special session has been mostly symbolic, with policy details to be tackled in January when the legislature reconvenes. State Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and … Read more
California has a reputation for precedent-setting climate policy, and the last year has shown us why. Thanks to the support of our generous donors, The Climate Center has been at the center of passing nation-leading, new laws. This year, together with policymakers, scientists, business leaders, local governments, activists, and others across the climate movement, we: … Read more
Press Conference hosted by the Center for Biological Diversity Remarks from Barry Vesser, Chief Operating Officer for The Climate Center: “Good afternoon everyone. My name is Barry Vesser. The election of a climate denier to the White House is a setback for some of our climate protection ambitions, and we need to be honest about … Read more
