Update as of 9/16/25: State lawmakers have reauthorized Cap and Trade, now referred to as Cap and Invest, through 2045 by passing legislation in the Assembly and Senate, AB 1207 and SB 840. The Climate Center played a lead role in advocating for improvements to the state’s flagship emissions reduction program in the reauthorization process. This … 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
The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act, introduced as SB 684 (Menjivar) in the Senate and AB 1243 (Addis) in the Assembly, would ensure that polluters pay their fair share for the climate damage they have caused in California. The firestorm in Los Angeles is only the latest in a string of unprecedented climate disasters that … Read more
California’s 2025-2026 state budget faces a $12 billion deficit but protects huge tax breaks for oil and gas corporations. After unprecedented wildfires ravaged Los Angeles only days into 2025, California must strengthen critical climate programs, not cut them. Every dollar we invest in fighting the climate crisis today will save lives! We’ve seen what happens … 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
SACRAMENTO — Global oil majors played a pivotal role in orchestrating a multibillion-dollar tax dodge that shields corporate profits from California taxes, according to new, in-depth historical research and analysis by The Climate Center. The Water’s Edge tax election, established in the state in 1986 after a decade-long fight, enables multinational corporations to avoid taxes … Read more
This report details how global oil majors like ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Shell orchestrated the creation of California’s Water’s Edge tax loophole — a policy that now costs California taxpayers billions annually. It offers a first-of-its-kind, historical look at how oil giants lobbied for and have benefited from the Water’s Edge tax election, shielding their profits … 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
The next California Climate Policy Summit will take place on April 13, 2026. Stay tuned for more details. The fourth annual California Climate Policy Summit took place on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Sacramento. Thank you to our speakers, sponsors, and to the 400 state decision-makers, elected officials, climate activists, environmental justice advocates, business leaders, … Read more
