PCL’s Capital Insider – July 30, 2026
July 30, 2026
A push for a fix to SB 131. What emerged from our engagement with legislators over the fall and winter is this year’s SB 954 by Senator Blakespear.
time for action is now...
Climate Change
PCL’s Climate Change Program works throughout California to create an informed and engaged constituency that addresses the climate crisis at all levels of government.
Local Climate Action Initiative
Through our Local Climate Action Initiative we’re empowering community leaders to help their local and..
Teaming with Wildlife
The PCL Foundation leads the California contingent of this national coalition of more than 6,200 organizations..
Water Policy
Scientists are finding that water resources of the western United States, including California, will be significantly..
Climate Change
Global climate change is the fundamental challenge of the twenty-first century. A flood of recent scientific reports indicate that changes are occurring much more rapidly than most climate models had projected. From diminishing snowpack to new wildfire risks, the effects of global climate change are being felt today, yet we have done little to increase the resiliency of our communities and ecosystems.
That’s why we’re taking action now.
PCL’s Climate Change Program works throughout California to create an informed and engaged constituency that addresses the challenges at all levels of government. We bring our expertise to the Capitol and state agencies by promoting sound policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions in land use and water management decisions. We’re also helping national, state, and local leaders reshape their policies to respond to emerging climate hazards in ways that protect our environment, enhance social equity, and strengthen our economy.
Trees died in the Sierra Nevada in 2021
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Of the Hottest Years on Record have occured since 2009
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Of the 10 largest Wildfires in California history have happened since 2017
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Local Climate Action Initiative
Through our Local Climate Action Initiative we’re empowering community leaders to help their local and regional governments adopt policies that reduce the carbon footprint of new developments and successfully implement new statewide legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This Initiative provides local workshops, regional summits, consultations, and a toolkit that includes policy recommendations and examples of successful community campaigns. Learn more.
Endangered Species Coalition
The PCL leads the California contingent of this national coalition of more than 6,200 organizations. Coalition members have recently launched a new initiative to incorporate global climate change into California’s Wildlife Action Plan and secure sufficient funding to dramatically expedite its implementation
Water Policy
Scientists are finding that water resources of the western United States, including California, will be significantly impacted by climate change. PCL is actively involved in water policy in California. Read about climate change and water policy.
Land Use and Transportation
California has taken bold steps to address the challenge of global climate change that include the passage of AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which requires the state’s total greenhouse gas emissions to decrease to 1990 levels by 2020. This is the first step towards deeper reductions in the decades ahead.
However, the promise of AB 32 continues to be eroded each day that local, state, and national leaders take a “wait and see” approach to global warming and proceed with business as usual decision making. This is particularly apparent with regard to California’s land use and development practices. As public agencies approve and invest in sprawl developments and car-centered transportation infrastructure, it becomes increasingly difficult to change course. Read PCL’s fact sheet on climate change and CEQA.
Rather than shifting to climate-friendly development patterns that are dense, vibrant, resource-efficient, and provide public transportation and bicycle/ pedestrian opportunities, Californians are increasingly locked into high emission lifestyles where getting in the car is the only viable option for meeting most basic needs. Conversely, PCL helped ensure the passage of the Rail Bond Act (Prop. 116). We are engaged in ongoing work for a sensible High Speed Rail project that will reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and promote smarter growth without unduly impacting our natural resources, key agricultural lands or local communities.
By rising to the challenge we’ll not only avoid projected climate impacts, we’ll also make our communities healthier places, make our economy more robust, and improve our quality of life.
Recent articles about Climate Change
PCL’s Capital Insider – June 29 2026
June 29, 2026
One thing is guaranteed when it comes to water in California – an annual flood of legislation related to this precious public resource. A quick search of the legislature’s information portal, LegInfo, returns over 600 bills relating to water in 2026…
PCL’s Capital Insider – June 2026
June 8, 2026
Among PCL’s many interests this legislative session, a top priority is Senator Cabaldon’s SB 1087, seeking to update the historic 2008 bill, SB 375 – The Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act.
PCL’s Capital Insider – April 2026
April 29, 2026
By most metrics, April was quite a successful month for California environmental policy.