This includes support from other clauses that may aid the Subcommittee's decision. The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act aligns with existing Carlsbad platform statements and will be voted on in January.
Thank you so much for your time and help.
Lexie Han
Animal Advocacy Club | Ocean Club | Speech & Debate
Carlsbad High '26
Youth v. Oil City of Carlsbad Proposal
Exhibit 3
Nov. 18, 2025
Item #4 Page 105 of 108
City of Carlsbad:
My name is Lexie Han, and I’m a senior at Carlsbad High School and a member of Youth v. Oil.
Youth v. Oil is a youth-led team under local climate action non-profit SanDiego350 that works to end California’s reliance on fossil fuels and achieve a just, rapid transition to renewable energy.
We would like the City of Carlsbad to add the following clause to its legislative platform:
● Proposed clause (potentially under the subsection Climate Change):
○ (x) Support legislation that holds polluting and greenhouse gas-emitting industries responsible for the climate damages they've caused.
Here are some existing clauses in the Carlsbad Legislative Platform that support our proposed clause:
● Under Section 1) Community Services, Subsection Healthy Cities ○ (a) Support legislation that recognizes and prevents adverse impacts affecting public health and the welfare of all residents, visitors and workers, and especially the young.
● Under Section 2) Environmental Quality:
○ (a) Support legislation that complements the city’s Environmental and Sustainability Guiding Principles.
○ (b) Support funding and legislation to improve and protect recreational water quality from contamination, support effective habitat management practices, and create and maintain public open space.
○ (e) Support funding and legislation that supports climate change adaptation and resilience efforts.
○ Subsection Climate Change
■ (a) Support funding and legislation that promotes market penetration and infrastructure expansion for zero emission vehicles and small off-road engines, such as those found in landscaping equipment and generators. ■ (b) Support measures that promote clean fleet transitions while providing flexible compliance timelines for vehicles and equipment based on documented limitations in product availability, and cost-prohibitive market conditions.
■ (c) Support measures that credit Metropolitan Planning Organizations for emissions reductions associated with regional electric vehicle adoption. ■ (d) Support funding and legislation that facilitates energy efficiency and decarbonization practices and actions to mitigate the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings.
■ (e) Support funding and legislation that promotes greenhouse gas emissions reductions and/or the capture, removal, sequestration and secure storage of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
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■ (g) Support funding and legislation that promotes the use and purchase of clean alternative energy through the development of renewable energy resources and waste-to-energy technologies.
● Under Section 6) Public Safety, Subsection Fire Services ○ (d) Support legislation that would enhance statewide wildland fire safety infrastructure.
● Under Section 8) Transportation, Communication and Public Works, Subsection Transportation
○ (a) Support measures that would increase the ability of local agencies to finance local and regional transportation facilities and improvements, including alternative modes of transportation and transportation demand management systems and transportation systems management initiatives.
These clauses could be used to justify the City of Carlsbad supporting the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025 (SB 684 and AB 1243). We ask that the City of Carlsbad add our proposed clause to their legislative platform with the intention of then having a letter of support for the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund sent to California State Legislators. The Polluters Pay Climate Superfund will be voted on in January and needs to pass the first house by the end of January 2026. Because of this, we respectfully request the City of Carlsbad to add our proposed clause to their legislative platform and send a letter of support for the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund to state legislators by early January 2026 (or ideally December 2025).
Our Youth v. Oil team has already passed Polluters Pay Climate Superfund City Council resolutions at San Diego, La Mesa, and Vista. We are also hoping to pass resolutions in Chula Vista and San Diego County in the next two months. Other places in California that have officially endorsed the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund include the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Corte Madera, Cotati, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Richmond, San Jose, and Sebastopol, as well as the Counties of Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Additionally, Vermont and New York have passed similar climate superfund bills.
Resources about the California Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act:
● SB 684 and AB 1243
● 2-pager Factsheet
● Understanding Climate Attribution Science
● Myth Buster Factsheet
● Legal Support Factsheet Climate Superfund
● CA Polluters Pay Climate Superfund - Health Factsheet ● American Academy of Pediatrics CA_Support_Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act
The climate crisis is a fossil-fuel crisis. A small number of the world’s largest corporations have emitted the bulk of global greenhouse pollution, raking in immense profits while California Nov. 18, 2025
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taxpayers pay the price. The Climate Superfund Act (SB 684 & AB 1243) would ensure polluters pay their fair share for the climate damage they have caused in California. This bill would:
● Direct CalEPA to complete a climate cost study: to quantify total damages to the state (through 2045), caused by fossil fuel emissions.
● Direct CalEPA to identify responsible parties and assess compensatory fees: on the largest fossil fuel polluters, proportional to their fossil fuel emissions from 1990 through 2024, to address damages quantified in the cost study.
● Fund California’s future: Fees collected will fund projects and programs to mitigate, remedy, or prevent climate change costs and harms. This bill aims to prioritize strong labor and job standards and dedicate at least 40% of the funds to benefit communities hit hardest by fossil fuel pollution”. It will protect Californians and lower costs by funding critical climate solutions, including investments in a clean energy transition, community resilience, home hardening, sustainable infrastructure, and essential workers responding to climate disasters.
The authors of these twin bills are Senator Menjivar and Assemblymember Addis. Co-authors of the bills include Assemblymembers Ward (San Diego), Connolly, Garcia, Haney, Kalra, Pellerin, Rogers, and Schultz, and Senators Allen, Gonzalez, Stern, and Wiener. Additionally, locally in San Diego, Senators Blakespear and Padilla have already voted in support of this bill in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
Supporters of the bill include:
● Unions: American Federation of Teachers (AFT), California Federation of Teachers (CFT), California Nurses Association (CNA), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and San Diego Education Association (SDEA) ● Organizations and businesses: See the over 100 supporting organizations listed here on page 2
○ See the organizations and businesses in San Diego County who signed onto our letter of support here
Opponents of the bill include:
● Fossil fuel companies, Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA), California Independent Petroleum Association
● Building trades unions
Complete list of supporters and opponents here.
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