Climate progress in the California legislature in 2024 was nowhere near what is needed to address the accelerating climate crisis.
While our leaders must do more to rein in climate pollution and challenge Big Oil’s political influence, there are signs of hope to build on. This year, climate champions introduced bills to defend and grow California’s clean energy economy as well as make polluters pay for the costs of addressing the climate crisis. SB 59 (Skinner) aims to transform California’s more than 1 million electric vehicles into a source of affordable, reliable, resilient, and clean backup power. SB 1374 (Becker) seeks to support schools’ and apartment dwellers’ use of solar power. And AB 1866 (Hart) was designed to require oil companies to accelerate the plugging and clean-up of their idle wells.
In this webinar, we will discuss the key climate and energy legislation that passed, bills that were watered down or failed, and strategies to increase climate ambition in California.
Speakers
Ellie Cohen, CEO of The Climate Center, is a leader in catalyzing cross-boundary, collaborative and just solutions to climate change and environmental degradation. Most recently, Ellie served as President and CEO of Point Blue Conservation Science where she and the organization’s 160+ scientists worked with hundreds of public and private partners to develop climate-smart solutions for wildlife and people.
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Barry joined The Climate Center in 2005 and has held positions as Deputy Director and Financial Officer. He currently leads The Climate Center’s program and policy development and implementation teams. In 2018 Barry began working with a group of energy experts and advocates envisioning a more decentralized energy system that was clean, affordable, resilient, and equitable. He then championed the development of The Climate Center’s Community Energy Resilience project, which has culminated in the creation of a new $170 million Community Energy Resilience investment program by the California Energy Commission in August of 2022.
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Jason (he/him) works with the Climate Law Institute to fight pollution from oil and gas extraction. Prior to joining the Center, he led CALPIRG’s advocacy and policy work on public health issues like getting lead out of school drinking water and stopping antibiotic overuse on factory farms. He holds a doctorate in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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