A Broader Vision for Climate Policy: Lessons from California

As the federal role in addressing climate change shrinks, state and local action is once again taking center stage. States are facing innumerable challenging policy questions about the best mechanisms for addressing climate and energy, and many are looking to California for inspiration. This article focuses on a particular and unique feature of California’s approach: the integration of social and environmental justice concerns into the state’s climate and energy policies. As decisionmakers grapple with the fundamental and existential shifts associated with a clean energy transition, California’s efforts to incorporate environmental justice—and the state’s broader social, economic, and environmental vision–provide important insights about the potential for comprehensive climate initiatives in other states