Press Releases

SACRAMENTO—State Controller Betty T. Yee today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

“We are facing a climate emergency, and the federal government needs every option on the table to mitigate the crisis. Today’s flawed ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from fulfilling its responsibility to address greenhouse-gas emissions at power plants, ultimately doing the most harm to those already on the economic margins. 

As the EPA itself has determined, ‘severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately upon underserved communities who are least able to prepare for, and recover from, heat waves, poor air quality, flooding, and other impacts.’ In addition, systemic inequalities have led to fossil-fueled power plants being built primarily in communities of color, placing these neighborhoods at higher risk of hazardous pollutant emissions. Today’s decision limits our ability to right those wrongs and prolongs the suffering of historically excluded communities.

The U.S. remains the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, and our global leadership matters. This ruling will make it more difficult for the U.S. to meet Paris Agreement targets to limit global warming, just as citizens and corporations were shifting toward green energy and sustainable practices.

The level of climate risk our children and future generations will experience depends on the decisions we make today. The Biden Administration has expressed a commitment to meaningful climate action, and it should continue on that path in every way possible.

For two decades, California has been the engine and the laboratory for climate action. Our governor and legislators have pledged billions to innovative climate measures this year alone. Today’s ruling must strengthen our resolve to continue leading the world in the fight against climate change. I invite every individual, company, state, and nation to join us.”

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018, Controller Yee is the tenth woman elected to a statewide office in California’s history. Follow the Controller on Twitter at @CAController and on Facebook at California State Controller’s Office.

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