Ann Carlson
Shirley Shapiro Professor of Environmental Law, UCLA, and Faculty Director, Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment
In many ways, California climate governance is a success story. State policies have driven strong deployment of solar and batteries, and California launched the nation’s first carbon cap-and-trade program in 2013. Broadly, the state has shown that economic growth with declining emissions is possible.
But California also faces major challenges. State policies drive up energy costs, and the environmental benefits of some — such as the Low Carbon Fuel Standard — have been called into question. Meanwhile, California is not on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets, and achieving net-zero by 2045 will require overcoming significant infrastructure hurdles, now further complicated by federal hostility.
In this panel conversation, recorded at BESI on April 27, 2026, California climate policy experts join BESI’s Samuel Trachtman for a critical examination of California’s approach to climate governance and consider strategies for continued progress. Does the state need more of the same, minor tweaks, or major overhauls? The panelists candidly discuss the current obstacles and potential ways forward.
