NewsEnvironment

Actions

California companies' pollution credits risk climate aims

California Climate Change
Posted

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California companies that must pay to emit greenhouse gases have saved up so many pollution credits it could hurt the program's ability to reduce emissions.

California runs one of the world's largest carbon markets, known as cap-and-trade. It requires companies to buy, trade or sell “allowances" equivalent to how much they plan to emit, and the state makes fewer available over time.

But the companies that participate have collectively saved hundreds of millions of credits and observers say that could undermine cap-and-trade's ability to spur emissions reductions.

The program is a key part of California's efforts to drastically lower emissions by 2030.

State officials who oversee the program say they have tools to deal with oversupply.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Thursday

09/18/2025

Rain

79° / 69°

97%

Friday

09/19/2025

Partly Cloudy

85° / 71°

15%

Saturday

09/20/2025

Sunny

90° / 70°

4%

Sunday

09/21/2025

Mostly Sunny

90° / 70°

4%

Monday

09/22/2025

Mostly Sunny

94° / 73°

4%

Tuesday

09/23/2025

Mostly Sunny

92° / 70°

24%

Wednesday

09/24/2025

Sunny

89° / 68°

16%

Thursday

09/25/2025

Partly Cloudy

88° / 68°

2%