At the UN's Climate Ambition Summit in New York, California's Governor Gavin Newsom evoked strong reactions as he candidly referred to the climate crisis as “a fossil fuel crisis”. The Governor openly expressed the need to phase out oil, gas, and coal and condemned the allegations of “deceit and denial” he blames on the fossil fuel industry. He was the sole U.S. representative to address the assembly, although climate envoy John Kerry was in attendance.
The response he received from the crowd was outright impressive, composed primarily of global leaders, climate enthusiasts, and non-governmental organizations. Frances Colón, senior director of international climate policy for the Center for American Progress, said, “Everyone was clapping and saying, ‘This is what we were expecting from the US leadership the whole time.’”
California itself is consistently at the forefront of climate action. It recently launched a significant lawsuit against five major oil companies for alleged long-standing misinformation about their product's impact on the environment. Furthermore, new legislation requiring large companies to disclose their contribution to global warming and climate risk has been passed.
Moreover, California has moved to completely ban sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035. This could potentially influence the entire US auto market as 17 other states already follow its strategy.
While coping with the severe impacts of climate change, including wildfires, severe drought, and extreme weather events, California is steadfast in its fight. Its lawsuit against BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and ConocoPhillips, as well as their trade group, the American Petroleum Institute, seeks to hold these organizations accountable for what it characterizes as decades of public deception.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta regards the case as a “game changer and a watershed moment” for climate litigation based on the core concept that, “you are responsible for your actions, so you must be held accountable”.
Answering an inquiry about the lawsuit, Ryan Meyers, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the American Petroleum Institute, maintained that the industry has achieved its goal of providing affordable, reliable energy while “substantially reducing emissions and our environmental footprint.”
Among other legislative progress, California now obligates multi-billion dollar companies to openly share their greenhouse gas emissions. Repercussions of these disclosures are yet to be observed. Critics argue that accurate reporting may not be ensured and may require monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.
The fight is not all-inclusive, many conservative states will likely remain unaffected by California's measures. However, the state's actions set a clear precedent for emission regulations with around a third of the US market potentially affected.
Despite the local challenges, California remains a beacon of hope in the challenge against climate change. As former California Air Resources Board member Daniel Sperling observed that while, “California is not the US, the California legislature is not the US Congress, and the California governor is not the president” it serves as a clear example for other states and the federal government to follow.
