California air regulators suggested weakening the state’s corporate greenhouse gas emissions reporting law as it was being negotiated last year, an agency spokesperson confirmed to POLITICO.
The California Air Resources Board’s draft amendments to what is now a nation-leading climate disclosure law show the agency had proposed removing requirements for businesses to report Scope 3 emissions, or the emissions tied to companies’ vast value chains. Lys Mendez, a CARB spokesperson, told POLITICO that the agency’s recommendations were “similar” to those included in a document of draft amendments obtained by POLITICO.
Mendez said those proposals were submitted by CARB staff to state Sen. Scott Wiener, the author of the law, and the Senate Appropriations Committee, which voted to advance the measure last May.
“Relevant state agencies routinely get asked for their feedback on pending bills, including to help identify cost-saving opportunities that still accomplish the bill’s goals,” Mendez said in a statement. “In this case, CARB provided its comments on the proposed legislation to help inform evaluation of the potential implementation costs of the then-under-consideration bill and provide suggestions on options for reducing those costs.”
