Envisioning a Climate-Safe California webinar #11: What the California Legislature Did to Hold Polluters Accountable – 26 October 2023
The Clean Coalition was a partner organization for this webinar, which took place 26 October 2023 at 10am.
The Climate Center believes in thriving, healthy communities. They envision a future where everyone in California enjoys clean air and water, renewable and reliable energy, healthy food, and abundant nature. California has the tools and the know-how to make this vision a reality if our elected leaders summon the political will. It is time we put people back at the heart of policy. In doing so, we can keep our friends and loved ones safe from worsening climate disasters, create millions of family-sustaining jobs, and give everyone the chance to thrive in the clean energy economy.
The climate center’s Envisioning a Climate-Safe California: Stories and Solutions webinar series will combine personal stories, frontline perspectives, scientific expertise, and policy analysis to shed light on how California can lead the world toward a climate-safe future. We’ll hear from the people and communities feeling the impacts of the climate crisis today as well as those advocating for solutions.
See below for more information on the eleventh webinar of the series.
Webinar #11: What the California Legislature Did to Hold Polluters Accountable
Thursday, 26 October, 2023 at 10am to 11:15am PST
California’s new lawsuit against major oil corporations cites decades of deception about the causes of climate change and billions in damages to California communities. The lawsuit, along with several key climate bills passed this year, will hold corporate polluters accountable. AB 1167 (Carrillo) will make the owners of orphaned and idle oil and gas wells pay to properly close them instead of taxpayers. SB 253 (Weiner) will compel California’s largest corporate polluters to disclose all of their emissions, and SB 261 (Stern) will require corporations, financial institutions, and insurers to report on climate-related financial risk.
In this webinar, we discussed next steps for the California legislature and the climate movement in holding polluters accountable and creating a climate-safe future for all.
+ Click here for more information
Presenters
Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo Wendy Carrillo was elected to serve in the California State Assembly in December 2017. She represents the 52nd Assembly District which is home to close to 500,000 residents in the City of Los Angeles. Prior to being elected to office, Assemblywoman Carrillo was a broadcast journalist for twelve years covering human rights, global conflict and US politics. Additionally, she worked in communications for the Service Employee International Union United Long Term Care Workers, which represents over 350,000 Home healthcare workers in California and served in local government as a communications deputy for a member of the Los Angeles City Council. In the State Assembly she has served as the Chair of the Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on State Administration, in addition to the Assembly Committees on Appropriations, Budget, Budget Sub. 6 on Budget Process, Oversight and Program Evaluation, Health, Housing and Community Development, Utilities and Energy, and the Joint Committees on Legislative Budget and Climate Change Policies. She has been an advocate for workforce development, restorative justice, climate justice, women’s rights, education, immigration reform, healthcare for all, job creation and innovation. Assemblywoman Carrillo immigrated to the United States as a young child during El Salvador’s Civil War and is a first generation American with Salvadoran and Mexican heritage. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from California State University Los Angeles and a Masters Degree in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Southern California.
Melissa Romero is California EnviroVoters’ Senior Legislative Manager. In this role, Melissa represents the organization in the state’s capitol, lobbying for strong environmental policies and working with partner organizations on advancing priority legislation. Her work includes tracking and prioritizing legislation, representing EnviroVoters on a variety of coalitions and networks, working with state legislators and their staff, and being the organization’s voice in the capitol. Prior to EnviroVoters, Melissa worked with Californians Against Waste on advancing waste reduction and recycling legislation and at Cal State Long Beach, Associated Students Inc. advocating for sustainability and zero waste policies and practices on campus. Melissa’s interest in policy began with an interest in environmental sciences and developed with strong sense of urgency to address the need to shift away from fossil fuel use and other extractive industry practices.
Barry Vesser joined The Climate Center in 2005 and has held positions as Deputy Director and Financial Officer. He currently leads The Climate Center’s program and policy development and implementation teams. In 2018 Barry began working with a group of energy experts and advocates envisioning a more decentralized energy system that was clean, affordable, resilient, and equitable. He then championed the development of The Climate Center’s Community Energy Resilience project, which has culminated in the creation of a new $170 million Community Energy Resilience investment program by the California Energy Commission in August of 2022.