California approves rules for landmark corporate climate disclosure program that will strengthen markets and reduce pollution

California just took a vital step to increase transparency around corporate climate risks, helping investors and consumers make more informed decisions in a changing climate. Better information helps markets price risk more accurately, protects people’s retirement savings and rewards companies that are better prepared for a low-carbon future.

On February 26, the California Air Resources Board unanimously approved initial rules implementing the state’s landmark climate disclosure laws. The laws require large companies doing business in California to publicly report their greenhouse gas emissions and disclose the financial risks climate change poses to their operations. The first emissions reports are due August 10, 2026.

California’s disclosure program addresses a growing market problem: amid intensifying climate impacts, investors, regulators and consumers often lack reliable information about companies’ greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related risks and opportunities. That matters not just for markets in the abstract, but for people’s real financial security — including pension funds and 401(k)s that depend on sound investment decisions. By requiring consistent reporting from large companies operating in the state – the world’s fourth-largest economy – California is providing better information for investors, clearer expectations for businesses and stronger protections for Californians.

Better data protects people’s investment earnings and retirement savings

Millions of Americans rely on financial markets for retirement security. Pension funds and 401(k)s invest trillions in companies, but without reliable data, investors cannot accurately price climate-related risks or opportunities. Recent events highlight the stakes:

• Insurers have pulled back coverage in parts of California as wildfire risk rises.
• Extreme weather has disrupted global supply chains.
• Companies developing clean, affordable solutions are growing rapidly while high-emitting companies face increasing transition risks as technologies and markets evolve.

As climate impacts accelerate – and markets respond – investors need clear information to distinguish between companies facing rising financial risks and those positioned to succeed by leading on clean solutions and resilience. Climate disclosure standards help close that gap. Better information allows markets to price climate risk more accurately, helping investors make well-informed decisions and protecting the retirement savings of millions of workers and families.

Transparency rewards companies demonstrating real climate leadership

Knowing that many consumers prefer climate-friendly businesses, companies are marketing themselves accordingly. But these claims are not always reliable. In one anonymous survey of corporate executives, a majority acknowledged their companies had engaged in some form of greenwashing. Disclosure standards help change that by enabling consumers to vet marketing claims with comparable, verifiable data.

Many major companies already disclose detailed emissions data and climate strategies because transparency builds trust with customers, investors and employees. California’s rules create consistent expectations for all large companies operating in the state, creating a more level playing field and rewarding real leadership.

Disclosure helps reduce climate pollution

Transparency doesn’t just inform markets – it can drive action. Research consistently shows companies tend to reduce emissions once they begin measuring and publicly reporting them. When emissions data becomes visible:

• Corporate leadership pays closer attention to climate performance
• Companies benchmark themselves against competitors
• Investors reward firms that reduce risk and innovate

We have seen this dynamic before. When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created the Toxics Release Inventory in the 1980s, companies sharply reduced toxic pollution once emissions data became public. Other disclosure programs around the world have produced comparable results.

California designed the program to work for business

California designed its disclosure program around frameworks many companies already use. The rules align with established standards such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, giving investors and consumers consistent data to evaluate corporate climate performance and progress.

The rules also align with existing reporting timelines and requirements in California, reducing duplication for businesses. CARB built flexibility into the first year of implementation, allowing companies to demonstrate “good-faith efforts” to comply using available data while they strengthen reporting systems. For companies already leading on climate, greater transparency becomes a competitive advantage.

California leadership matters more than ever

As climate disasters cause increasing destruction across the United States and the transition to clean, affordable technologies continues, California is stepping up to provide the clarity investors, companies and consumers need. Thousands of the largest companies doing business in the state will now report consistent data on their greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks. That transparency strengthens markets, rewards responsible companies and helps investors manage risk in a rapidly changing climate.