For more detail, view CLEE’s California Climate Policy Fact Sheets here.
About the Dashboard
Our California Climate Policy Dashboard seeks to provide a concise, easy-to-use overview of some of the major California climate laws and programs and introduce readers to some of the state regulators responsible for implementing them. Readers can find detailed information on these efforts by following links to full statutory text, agencies’ program pages, and CLEE reports on these laws and programs.
By compiling and regularly updating information on certain key state policies and actors, we hope to provide both casual readers and researchers with straightforward access to the full scope of California’s ambitious climate change programs and goals.
For further insight and analysis of California and federal climate policies, visit climatepolicysolutions.org or our climate change page on Legal Planet.
California Climate Programs |
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Cap and Trade Program A system in which power plants, refineries, and other large facilities buy and sell greenhouse gas emissions allowances in order to meet overall emissions limitations set by CARB. |
Climate Change Scoping Plan California’s comprehensive plan outlining the state’s approach to achieving its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, including SB 32’s goal of reducing emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. CLEE Reports |
| Renewables Portfolio Standard
California’s statewide requirement that electricity providers procure energy from certain renewable sources—33% of total electricity by 2020, and 60% of total electricity by 2030. |
Low Carbon Fuel Standard A program requiring transportation fuel producers to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of their products, from extraction to refining and end use. CLEE Reports |
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Green Building Standard A program to reduce the energy use of California buildings, including energy efficiency standards for new construction and retrofits for existing buildings. CLEE Reports |
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund State program allocating proceeds from cap-and-trade auctions to support investments and projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout California. CLEE Reports |
| Advanced Clean Cars Program
A program to reduce greenhouse gas and smog-causing pollutant emissions from California cars, including vehicle performance standards and manufacturer requirements. CLEE Reports |
Transformative Climate Communities Program A program overseen by the Strategic Growth Council to award competitive grants to under-resourced communities to fund their own goals, strategies, and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions locally. |
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GHG Emission Inventory A program to estimate, evaluate, and track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from industrial, mobile, natural, and other sources of emissions.
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California Climate Regulators |
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California Air Resources Board California’s lead air quality and greenhouse gas emissions regulator, responsible for implementing most of the state’s climate policies including AB 32’s cap-and-trade program. |
California Energy Commission The state’s energy policy and planning agency, responsible for climate-change related programs including energy efficiency and renewable energy procurement. |
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California Public Utilities Commission The state agency responsible for regulation of public utilities, including electricity and natural gas infrastructure, rates and reliability. |
California Environmental Protection Agency California’s primary environmental regulator, responsible for coordinating all environmental quality programs and enforcement, including oversight of CARB. |
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California State Transportation Agency The state agency responsible for coordinating all transportation planning, including reduction of transportation-related emissions to align with the state’s climate goals. |
California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery California’s recycling and waste management agency, responsible for implementation of state climate policies including landfill methane emissions reduction, waste-to-energy production, and composting requirements. |
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California Natural Resources Agency The state agency responsible for management and protection of natural resources, including climate change adaptation, climate-resilient infrastructure planning, and fire management. |
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research California’s comprehensive long-range planning agency, responsible for implementing California Environmental Quality Act review and conducting state-wide research on all climate change policies and impacts. |
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Strategic Growth Council The state agency responsible for administering investments in community sustainability and economic growth, including Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund investments. |
California Department of Food and Agriculture California agency responsible for farm and agriculture policy, including the Climate Smart Agriculture program. |
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California Independent System Operator An independent nonprofit entity responsible for managing California’s electricity market and transmission grid, dispatching power in real time, and conducting long-term transmission planning. |
CalRecycle Administers and provides oversight for all of California’s state-managed handling and recycling programs, including programs related to reduction of emissions from landfills and organic waste. |
California Climate Policies |
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Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Senate Bill 32 (Pavley, 2016) Assembly Bill 32 (Nunez, 2006) Landmark legislation requiring California to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and 40% below 1990 levels by 2030, and appointing CARB to develop policies (ultimately including the state’s cap-and-trade program) to achieve this goal.
CLEE Reports |
Renewable Energy Procurement Senate Bill 100 (de Leon, 2018) Senate Bill 350 (de Leon, 2015) Energy legislation requiring the state to procure 60% of all electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 100% from carbon-free sources by 2045; double the energy efficiency of existing buildings; and allow greater electric utility investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
CLEE Reports |
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Transportation Infrastructure Funding Senate Bill 1 (Beall, 2017) Transportation funding legislation that increases the state’s gasoline tax by $0.12 per gallon, raising over $5 billion per year for transportation projects including improvements in efficiency and emission reduction. CLEE Reports |
Sustainable Transportation Planning Senate Bill 375 (Steinberg, 2008); Senate Bill 743 (Steinberg, 2013) Transportation planning legislation setting regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for passenger vehicles and requiring agencies to assess and mitigate the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) impacts of new developments. CLEE Reports |
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Community Air Protection Assembly Bill 617 (Garcia, 2017) Air quality legislation that increases air monitoring requirements and penalties for polluters who exceed limitations in vulnerable communities. |
Disadvantaged Community Benefits Senate Bill 535 (De Leon, 2012); Assembly Bill 1550 (Gomez, 2016) Legislation requiring the state to direct at least 25% of state cap-and-trade revenues to go to projects that are located in and benefit disadvantaged communities. |
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Adaptation and Resiliency Assembly Bill 1482 (Gordon, 2015); Senate Bill 246 (Wieckowski, 2015); Senate Bill 379 (Jackson, 2015); Assembly Bill 2800 (Quirk, 2016); Senate Bill 1035 (Jackson, 2018); Senate Bill 30 (Lara, 2018) State laws calling for preparation of state climate adaptation strategy, establishing OPR’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program, requiring local governments to include adaptation and resiliency strategies in general plans, requiring state agencies to account for climate change when planning new infrastructure, and establishing a risk transfer/insurance working group.
CLEE Reports |
Energy Storage Assembly Bill 2514 (Skinner, 2010) Law requiring electric utilities to install minimum levels of grid-scale energy storage infrastructure. CLEE Reports |
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Automobile Emission Standards Assembly Bill 1493 (Pavley, 2002) State law requiring the first set of greenhouse gas emission standards for passenger vehicles. |
Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Senate Bill 605 (Lara, 2016); Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, 2016) Legislation requiring a strategy for and reductions in emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (like methane) by 40-50% below 2013 levels by 2030. CLEE Reports |
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CARB Oversight and Reporting Assembly Bill 197 (Garcia, 2016) Companion law to SB 32, requiring CARB to report regularly to the state legislature on its progress in implementing the state’s climate and air pollution-related policies. |
Cap-and-Trade Extension Assembly Bill 398 (Garcia, 2017) Law extending California’s cap-and-trade program through 2030. |
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California Climate Registry Senate Bill 1771 (Sher, 2000) Law establishing the California Climate Registry, which cataloged early greenhouse gas emission reductions and set reduction goals and standards for measurement and verification, as a precursor to AB 32 as well as other states’ and international efforts. |
Electric Vehicle Charging Assembly Bill 1236 (Chiu, 2015) Law requiring local governments to develop streamlined ordinances for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. |