SACRAMENTO, Calif. – On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a suite of legislation into law that will make historic investments of more than $15 billion to fight the climate crisis, including major boosts for clean energy and vital resiliency efforts.
The legislative package will address drought, wildfires, extreme heat, sea level rise and drinking water sources, among other urgent problems, and is the largest investment ever made by California to confront the climate crisis, said EWG President, Co-founder and Bay Area resident Ken Cook.
The new laws put the state once again in a leadership role advancing policies to protect the environment and human health, he said.
“This summer, virtually everyone in California experienced first-hand the impacts of the climate crisis,” said Cook. “The legislation Gov. Newsom signed into law is the most ambitious investment in the history of the state to confront global warming. It will help address the serious, even life-threatening forces that are now upon us every year.”
The legislative suite includes 20 pieces of legislation meant to confront a host of conditions triggered by the climate emergency, including $1.5 billion for wildfire resilience, $5.2 billion to address drought and drinking water scarcity, and $3.9 billion in investments for zero-emissions vehicles, among many other critical measures.
EWG backed several of the bills signed by Newsom, including:
- AB 525, authored by Assemblymember David Chiu (D-San Francisco), to increase investments in California’s enormous offshore wind potential.
- SB 47, authored by Senator Monique Limόn (D-Santa Barbara), to increase resources for state regulators to remediate deserted or idle oil and gas wells
- SB 403, authored by Senator Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), to help consolidate drinking water supplies in parts of the state to help disadvantaged communities.
“The climate crisis and the severe impacts it is causing in California demand serious and sustained attention by our elected officials, and that is exactly the kind of leadership Gov. Newsom and the lawmakers who crafted these bills have demonstrated,” added Cook.
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Visit www.ewg.org for more information.
