2025: Climate Justice Went to Voicemail
California earns a C grade...
2025 was a uniquely challenging year for California legislators facing a slew of hostile federal actions including withheld federal funds for LA fire recovery and revoked Clean Air waivers, in addition to California’s corporate accountability law SB 261 being stalled in court. Still, Californians needed our state to act as a counterweight to the anti-environmental federal government—and California didn’t meet the mark. The call for climate justice went to voicemail this year, resulting in a C grade (78%) for California. In 2026, California’s communities need our leaders to stand firm on their commitment to a healthy, affordable, and resilient future for all.
Bright Spots in 2025:
Bright Spots in 2025:
✅ Critical Policy Victories
California leadership made meaningful strides this year in moving energy affordability policies across the finish line, strengthening the state’s ability to safeguard biodiversity, and extending the Cap-and-Invest system with some reforms that improve community air protections.
✅ Stopping Polluter Handouts
California was able to defeat a proposed exemption to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental protections in budget trailer bill SB 131. The Governor also vetoed a bill that would have weakened protections and undermined efforts to meet air quality standards.
✅ California vs Trump Lawsuits
California is holding the line on federal overreach through a series of lawsuits against the Trump administration spearheaded by Attorney General Bonta, including State of New York vs. Trump where states successfully challenged the clean wind project cancellations.
Key Legislative Wins
- AB 825 (Petrie-Norris, Rivas, Becker): Unlocks access to a broader electricity market to lower energy costs, improve grid reliability, and reduce air pollution.
- SB 254 (Becker, Wahab, Petrie-Norris): Improves energy affordability by addressing key drivers of rising utility rates.
- AB 1319 (Schultz): Modernizes tools to defend endangered species.
- AB 454 (Kalra): Expands protection for migratory birds.
Anti-Environmental Actions in 2025:
Anti-Environmental Actions in 2025:
❌ Unfinished Business and Vetoed Bills
While corporate polluters poison our air, worsen climate disasters, and pass the costs onto Californians, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act (SB 684/AB 1243) and Affordable Insurance and Climate Recovery Act (SB 222) failed to make it to the Governor’s desk. The Governor also vetoed bills that would have banned forever chemicals (SB 682), improved energy affordability (SB 541), and banned microplastics (AB 823). Governor Newsom also backfilled the general fund with $1B from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), slashing critical investments and undercutting California’s ability to address escalating climate threats.
❌ Agency and Implementation Delays
Governor Newsom delayed implementation of a historic plastic pollution reduction law (2024’s SB 54), the California Energy Commission (CEC) stalled on price-gouging penalties under SB 905, and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) pushed back SB 253 and SB 261 until 2026 and is overdue on carbon capture and storage regulations.
❌ Managed Decline
The transition to clean energy is happening, and our state should have been better prepared for this year’s refinery closures. Advancing SB 237 undercut the state’s ability to hold polluters accountable and protect community health.
In 2026, Californians want lawmakers to prioritize:
- Insurance Affordability: Californians know what’s driving the affordability crisis: extreme weather fueled by climate change, which in turn drives up insurance rates and the cost of housing. It’s time to make corporate polluters pay their fair share for the damage they’re doing to our communities. (90% of voters agree)
- Conserving Land, Water & Biodiversity: As the federal government dismantles core environmental protections and biodiversity faces unprecedented pressure, California has to double down on defense. (80% of voters agree)
- Clean Transportation & Public Transit: Financing and advancing clean transportation and transit in the wake of the federal government’s illegal revoking of California’s Clean Air Waivers will protect Californians from corporate greed and health impacts. (69% of voters agree)
Accelerating Clean Energy: We must transition from dirty fossil fuels and ensure that communities have access to the air quality and affordability provided by clean energy in a way that supports workers and economic resilience. (68% of voters agree)
How did we determine California's score?
To calculate the California score, we tracked the outcome of 97 total environmental bills introduced in 2025, major pro-environment actions, and major anti-environmental actions the state took.
Of the 97 bills, 43 resulted in pro-environment outcomes and top priority bills were weighted double.
California's Most Important 2025 Environmental Actions
| Passage of the two biggest clean energy (AB 825) and electricity affordability bills (SB 254) in 2025. |
| California voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Prop 50, which the Governor and legislature successfully brought to the ballot, rejecting President Donald Trump’s scheme to rig our elections. |
| Attorney General Bonta led on five critical lawsuits against the federal government defending all Californian’s right to clean air and clean energy, and to protect democracy. |
| The designation of the Sáttítla National Monument, delivering on California’s 30×30 conservation goal. |
| The Governor issued an order doubling down on clean cars in response to the federal rollbacks—spurring a state report and new rules to accelerate progress. |
| The two biggest climate affordability bills (SB 222 and AB 1243/SB 684) did not pass out of their first committees. |
| Last minute sweeping policy rushed through the budget to roll back CEQA and to pause building code updates, removing community protections, public input, and resilience. |
| Big Oil handouts through industry-leaning legislation (SB 237), weakened regulations, and exemptions. |
| State leaders failed to improve Cap-and-Invest program extensions, left the community air monitoring program largely unchanged, and shifted $1 billion of climate funding (GGRF) in the state’s budget into the state’s general fund, meaning overall less funding for climate programs. |
| State leaders failed to make meaningful investments for clean transportation solutions that cut demand for oil. |
