Governor

Gavin Newsom (D)

2024 Score 80%
Position: Governor since 2019
https://www.gov.ca.gov/

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As we enter a second term of an anti-environment Trump administration and California endures increasingly devastating wildfires and unnatural disasters, we need the Governor to step up in even bigger ways to not only defend the state’s climate progress but to continue to move the needle on climate action every year.

83%
Lifetime Score
80%
2024
80%
2023
84%
2022
82%
2021
87%
2020
85%
2019

How We Calculated the Weighted Score

80% environmental votes; 20% California score

The Governor's overall score reflects both his weighted score, his pro- and anti-environmental actions, and California's overall results. The table below shows how his actions influenced his final score of 80%.

Pro-Environment Actions
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted unanimously to advance clean energy with a centralized procurement strategy that sets a need determination of 7.6 GW of offshore wind by 2035 and sends a strong signal that provides certainty for transmission, port, and other infrastructure to build offshore wind.
California’s participation in the United Nations Biodiversity Summit, the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16). California is an official observer to the conference as a subnational government.
California’s lawsuit against Exxon for lying about plastic being recyclable.
California Energy Commission approved new build energy code which will likely result in the majority of new Californian homes being all-electric.
Governor Newsom increased California’s global leadership by signing agreements to advance climate collaboration and reduce emissions with Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and Norway.
Governor Newsom vetoed bills that would have delayed critical clean air rules, including the Advanced Clean Fleets rule to reduce emissions from trucks and the Commercial Harbor Craft rule to reduce emissions from ships and boats.
Anti-Environment Actions
Lack of significant action to end more oil and gas subsidies, like Water’s Edge tax election, which would have contributed an additional $4 billion in funds.
California Air Resources Board (CARB) to update the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) to protect communities’ health.
There were significant delays in implementing climate policies at the agency level, with some laws like AB 1167 facing issues at CalGEM and others like regulations for carbon capture and storage at CARB, without which this technology goes unregulated. The Governor also proposed further delays to the oil setbacks law and to the climate corporate accountability act, both of which saw some delays after negotiations.
Efforts to Weaken Clean Hydrogen Standards: Efforts by the administration to weaken climate-aligned and legally necessary rules for the federal 45V clean hydrogen production tax credits.
The legislature’s $5 billion cut to the climate budget in 2024 weakened the state’s ability to address pollution, extreme weather, and wildfires. By failing to eliminate corporate handouts and subsidies (Water’s Edge) and invest in climate solutions, the state undercuts its efforts to reduce emissions and protect communities from climate disaster.

Gavin Newsom's 2024 Environmental Actions

Bill Final Result
AB 99 (Connolly D) Integrated Pest Management for State Roads and Highways Vetoed
AB 460 (Bauer-Kahan D) State Water Board Interim Relief Signed into Law
AB 544 (Bryan D) County Jail Voting Pilot Program Vetoed
AB 660 (Irwin D) Food Expiration Date Labeling Signed into Law
AB 805 (Arambula D) Sewer services for Disadvantaged Communities Signed into Law
AB 828 (Connolly D) Managed Wetlands and Clean Drinking Water Protections Vetoed
AB 884 (Low D) Expanded Language Accessibility In Elections Vetoed
AB 1296 (Grayson D) Bar Pilots Regulation of Vessels – Oppose Vetoed (pro-environment)
AB 1864 (Connolly D) Restrictions for Pesticide usage near Schools Signed into Law
AB 1866 (Hart D) Idle Oil Well Cleanup Signed into Law
AB 1889 (Friedman D) Wildlife and Habitat Connectivity – Room to Roam Act Signed into Law
AB 1963 (Friedman D) Paraquat Dichloride Prohibition Signed into Law
AB 1992 (Boerner D) Ocean Carbon Sequestration & Blue Carbon Vetoed
AB 2086 (Schiavo D) Transparency in Transportation Funding Public Dashboard Signed into Law
AB 2127 (Berman D) Extending the California New Motor Voter Program Task Force Signed into Law
AB 2196 (Connolly D) Beaver Restoration Signed into Law
AB 2316 (Gabriel D) Prohibiting Toxic Substances from School Food Signed into Law
AB 2318 (Papan D) State Water Pollution Cleanup and Abatement Account Report Signed into Law
AB 2346 (Lee D) Organic Waste Reduction and Organic Waste Products Signed into Law
AB 2401 (Ting D) Clean Cars 4 All Vetoed
AB 2427 (McCarty D) Permitting Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Signed into Law
AB 2440 (Reyes D) 30×30 Goals, Partnering State Agencies and Outdoor Access Signed into Law
AB 2448 (Jackson D) Riverside County Electric Vehicle Economic Opportunity Zone Vetoed
AB 2454 (Lee D) Rental Property Water Testing Signed into Law
AB 2509 (Kalra D) Invasive Species Council of California Signed into Law
AB 2513 (Pellerin D) Gas Stove Warning Labels Vetoed
AB 2515 (Papan D) Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Menstrual Products Signed into Law
AB 2537 (Addis D) Offshore Wind and Coastal Resources Protection Program, Community funding Vetoed
AB 2552 (Friedman D) Regulating Pesticides & Rodenticides Signed into Law
AB 2642 (Berman D) Elections intimidation – the PEACE act Signed into Law
AB 2655 (Berman D) Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024 Signed into Law
AB 2666 (Boerner D) Utilities Rate of Return Signed into Law
AB 2684 (Bryan D) Safety from Extreme Heat Signed into Law
AB 2716 (Bryan D) Low-Producing Oil Well Accountability Act Signed into Law
AB 2839 (Pellerin D) Deceptive Media in Elections Advertisements Signed into Law
AB 2847 (Addis D) Utility Companies Capital Expenditures Requirements for Cost Recovery Signed into Law
AB 2851 (Bonta D) Metal Shredding Facilities & Fence-line Air Quality Monitoring Signed into Law
AB 2875 (Friedman D) No Net Loss of Wetlands Signed into Law
AB 3023 (Papan D) Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force & Interagency Coordinating Strategies Vetoed
AB 3090 (Maienschein D) Drinking Water Standards & Emergency Notification Plan Signed into Law
AB 3177 (Carrillo, Wendy D) Mitigation Fee Act & Mitigating Vehicular Traffic Impacts from Land Dedications Signed into Law
AB 3233 (Addis D) The Local Environmental Choice and Safety Act Signed into Law
AB 3258 (Bryan D) Refinery and chemical plants Signed into Law
SB 59 (Skinner D) Battery Electric Vehicles Bidirectional Capability Signed into Law
SB 219 (Wiener D) SB 253 & SB 261 Cleanup Legislation Signed into Law
SB 597 (Glazer D) Building Standards & Rainwater Catchment Systems Signed into Law
SB 615 (Allen D) Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling Vetoed
SB 674 (Gonzalez D) Refinery Air Pollution Transparency and Reduction Act Vetoed
SB 675 (Limón D) Local Assistance Grant Program & Prescribed Grazing Signed into Law
SB 707 (Newman D) Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 Signed into Law
SB 960 (Wiener D) Complete Streets and Transit Priority Policies Signed into Law
SB 972 (Min D) Methane Emissions & Organic Waste in Landfills Vetoed
SB 1006 (Padilla D) Electricity Transmission Capacity & Grid-enhancing Technologies Signed into Law
SB 1091 (Menjivar D) School Facilities & Accessible Path of Travel Requirements for Projects Signed into Law
SB 1101 (Limón D) Prescribed Fire for Wildfire Prevention & State Contracts Signed into Law
SB 1142 (Menjivar D) Utilities Restoration & Termination of services Signed into Law
SB 1143 (Allen D) Paint Products Stewardship Program Signed into Law
SB 1147 (Portantino D) Drinking Water & Microplastics Levels Signed into Law
SB 1152 (Limón D) Fire Safety Regulations & Lithium-based Battery Systems Signed into Law
SB 1174 (Min D) Preventing Unnecessary Voter Identification Laws Signed into Law
SB 1182 (Gonzalez D) Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools Vetoed
SB 1193 (Menjivar D) Banning leaded jet fuel Signed into Law
SB 1221 (Min D) Neighborhood Decarbonization Act Signed into Law
SB 1304 (Limón D) Underground Injection Control & Aquifer Exemptions Signed into Law
SB 1321 (Wahab D) Employment Training Panel Signed into Law
SB 1337 (Gonzalez D) Referendum Funding Transparency Vetoed
SB 1340 (Smallwood-Cuevas D) Public contracting and living wage jobs Signed into Law
SB 1375 (Durazo D) Equity, Climate Resilience and Quality Jobs Fund for Workforce Training Vetoed
SB 1420 (Caballero D) Bad Hydrogen Bill—Oppose Signed into Law (anti-environment)
SJR 12 (Min D) Fossil Fuel Leases & Bankruptcy Signed into Law
SJR 16 (Padilla D) The Chuckwalla, Joshua Tree, and Kw’tsán National Monuments Signed into Law
SJR 17 (Allen D) The Sáttítla National Monument Signed into Law