AB 491 will make California the first state in the nation to codify climate targets that harness the power of California’s natural and working lands to achieve carbon neutrality.
In 2022, the legislature passed AB 1757 (C. Garcia & R. Rivas), which directed state agencies to determine targets for nature-based climate solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, sequester carbon, and foster climate resilience. The Climate Center played a key role to pass AB 1757, then co-chaired the statewide Natural and Working Lands Coalition and worked directly with state agencies and the expert advisory committee to set these ambitious targets.
California’s natural and working lands are essential to both mitigating emissions and drawing down past emissions to curb the climate crisis. Over the next 20 years, the state will work to transform more than half of its 100 million acres into healthier, climate-resilient landscapes, spanning farms, ranches, forests, grasslands, and wetlands. This includes targets like managing more than 30 million acres to reduce wildfire risk through prescribed burns and grazing. Benefits include drawing down carbon, building resilience to drought and extreme heat, and increasing water and food security. Urban greening, forestry, croplands, wetlands, and action on other land types are also part of the comprehensive 81 targets to increase the health of our land types.
AB 491 will make these goals the law of the land and demonstrate California’s commitment to bold climate action.
Bill author
