Updated May 22, 2025
SUMMARY
AB 1243, the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund
Act of 2025, establishes a program in California’s
Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) to
assess fees on the largest fossil fuel polluters for
their fair share of the damage their products have
inflicted on California. The fees will initially pay
for a cost study to quantify climate impacts to the
state and later fund projects and programs to
mitigate, remedy, and prevent climate change
costs and harms.
Without this bill, California taxpayers will continue
to pay for the costs of climate damage, while the
polluters responsible—who have raked in
massive profits exploiting the environment—
avoid paying their fair share.
BACKGROUND
The climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis. Fossil
fuels account for nearly 90% of all CO2 emissions
and more than 75% of global greenhouse gas
emissions. Published, peer-reviewed research
using polluters' own self-reported data shows
that about two-thirds of human-caused CO2 and
methane emissions come from just 90 of the
world's largest fossil fuel companies. These
polluters have profited by producing and selling
fossil fuels while shifting the burden of their
pollution costs onto California families, forcing
taxpayers to pay the price for the damage their
products have caused.
The idea of a “Climate Superfund” is not a new
concept. There is precedent for government
entities to seek compensation from companies
whose products caused harm to their citizens.
Dating back to the 1990s, California has
implemented a law assessing compensatory fees
against lead paint and leaded gas producers to
fund programs to screen and treat lead poisoning
in children. In addition, the federal Superfund
law, the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, & Liability Act of 1980
(CERCLA), imposes retroactive liability on
multiple parties, including the generators of
waste, for the cleanup of contaminated sites.
PROBLEM
The climate crisis is costing Californians billions
every year. The recent Los Angeles wildfires are
just the latest example of the escalating harms
Californians face from climate-fueled disasters.
The fires killed at least 29 people, destroyed
thousands of homes, displaced nearly 200,000
people, and caused more than $250 billion in
damages and losses.
The climate crisis will only continue to exacerbate
these disasters and worsen our affordability
crisis. California’s Fourth Climate Assessment
estimated that by 2050, the direct economic
impacts of climate change will be at least $113
billion every year. That projection does not
include loss of human life or property due to
wildfires or ecological impacts due to wildfire,
floods, or drought.
Polluters must take responsibility for their share
of the burden and pay for the damages their
pollution caused. It is imperative that we act now
to ensure the health, safety and economic
security of our communities. Unless something
changes, the state, tribes, local governments,
and taxpayers will be stuck paying these
multibillion-dollar bills for climate damage.
SOLUTION
AB 1243 takes an important step to address our
climate crisis and help working families by
requiring the world’s largest fossil fuel polluters to
compensate Californians for the damage caused
AB 1243: Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act of 2025
Updated May 22, 2025
by their products. Specifically, it will require
CalEPA to:
Complete a comprehensive statewide
study to establish the cost of climate
damages to the state of California through
2045
Identify responsible parties, fossil fuel
producers that did business in California
and emitted more than one billion metric
tons CO2-equivalent from the extraction,
refining, and combustion of their products
during the covered time period of 1990
through 2024
Assess and collect fair and proportionate
fees from responsible parties to be paid
into the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund
Allocate expenditures from the fund, per
Legislative guidance, to projects
supporting climate resilience, mitigation,
and infrastructure that support
communities, businesses, and workers.
AB 1243 will save Californians money. The bill
ensures that the fees collected will fund projects
and programs to remedy or prevent climate-
related costs and harms. It also prioritizes labor
and job standards and dedicates at least 40% of
the funds to benefit disadvantaged communities.
Californians have paid enough; it’s time for
polluters to pay so taxpayers don’t have to.
SUPPORT
California Environmental Voters (co-
sponsor)
Campaign for a Safe and Healthy
California (co-sponsor)
Center for Biological Diversity (co-
sponsor)
1000 Grandmothers
198 Methods
350 Bay Area Action
350 Conejo / San Fernando Valley
350 Contra Costa Action
350 Humboldt
350 Sacramento
350 Santa Barbara
350 Southland Legislative Alliance
350 Ventura County Climate Hub
350.org
350 Marin
Alliance of Californians for Community
Empowerment (ACCE)
Action for the Climate Emergency
Active San Gabriel Valley
American Academy of Pediatrics,
California
American Federation of State, County,
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME),
AFL-CIO
American Lung Association
Asian Pacific Environmental Network
Avaaz
Azul
Ballona Institute
Bay Area-System Change not Climate
Change
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
Better APC
Better Future Project
Beyond Extreme Energy
Bicycling Monterey
Biofuelwatch
Black Women for Wellness Action Project
CA Youth vs. Big Oil
California Association of Professional
Employees
California Businesses for Climate Justice
California Calls
California Climate Voters
California Environmental Justice Alliance
Action
CFT – A Union of Educators & Classified
Professionals
California Green New Deal Coalition
California Institute for Biodiversity
California Interfaith Power & Light
California Nurses Association
California Nurses for Environmental
Health and Justice
Californians Against Waste
Carbon Cycle Institute
CCAN Action Fund
Center for Community Action and
Environmental Justice
Center for Developing Leadership in
Science
Center on Race, Poverty & the
Environment
Central California Asthma Collaborative
Updated May 22, 2025
Central California Environmental Justice
Network
CERBAT
Church and Society of First Presbyterian
Church of San Anselmo
Clean Water Action California
CleanEarth4Kids.org
Climate Action California
Climate Action Campaign
Climate Defenders
Climate Equity Policy Center
Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas
(CFROG)
Climate Hawks Vote
Climate Health Now
Climate Reality Project – Orange County
Climate Reality Project – San Francisco
Bay Area
Climate Reality Project – California
Coalition
Climate Reality Project - San Diego
Climate Reality Project - San Fernando
Valley Chapter
Coalition for Clean Air
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights
(CHIRLA)
Coastal Defenders
Coastal Lands Action Network
Communities for a Better Environment
Conejo Climate Coalition
Consumer Attorneys of California
Consumer Watchdog
Courage California
Culver City Democratic Club
Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action
Defend Ballona Wetlands
Democrats of Rossmoor
Dr. Bronner's
Earth Ethics
Eco Office of ASUC Senator China Duff
Ekō
Elders Climate Action
Elected Officials to Protect America
Endangered Habitats League
Environmental Center of San Diego
Environmental Defense Center
Evergreen Action
Extinction Rebellion San Francisco Bay
Area
FACTS – Families Advocating for
Chemical and Toxics Safety
Food & Water Watch
Fossil Free California
Fossil Free Media
FracTracker Alliance
Fridays for Future Sacramento
Friends Committee on Legislation of
California
Friends of the Earth
Friends of the River
Glendale Environmental Coalition
Good Neighbor Steering Committee of
Benicia
GreenFaith
Greenpeace USA
GRID Alternatives
Human Impact Partners
IKAR
ILWU Northern California District Council
Immaculate Heart Community
Environmental Commission
Indivisible Marin
Indivisible California: StateStrong
Little Manila Rising
Long Beach Alliance for Clean Energy
Los Angeles Climate Reality Project
Los Angeles County Democratic Party
Los Angeles Faith & Ecology Network
Make Polluters Pay National Campaign
Mill Valley Seniors for Peace
Mothers Out Front Silicon Valley
Move LA
Natural Resources Defense Council
NextGen California
No Drilling Contra Costa
NorCal Elder Climate Action
Oil and Gas Action Network
Oil Change International
Our Revolution
Our Time to Act
Oxfam America
Pacific Environment
Physicians for Social Responsibility – Los
Angeles
Physicians for Social Responsibility – San
Francisco Bay Area
Physicians for Social Responsibility –
Pennsylvania
Physicians for Social Responsibility –
Sacramento
PODER
Updated May 22, 2025
Presente.org
Protect Monterey County
Protect Playa Now
Public Citizen
Reclaim Our Power!
Redeemer Community Partnership
Resilient Palisades
Rise Economy
Rising Sun Center for Opportunity
RootsAction.org
San Diego Pediatricians for Clean Air
San Francisco Baykeeper
SanDiego350
Santa Cruz Climate Action Network
Santa Cruz County Democratic Central
Committee
SEE (Social Eco Education)
Seventh Generation
Sierra Club California
SoCal 350 Climate Action
Society of Native Nations
Spottswoode Winery, Inc.
Strategic Concepts in Organizing and
Policy Education (SCOPE)
Sunflower Alliance
Sunrise Bay Area
Sunrise Movement
Sunrise Movement LA
Sustainable Mill Valley
Sustainable Rossmoor
Synergistic Solutions
The Climate Center
The Phoenix Group
The Story of Stuff Project
The Wendy and Eric Schmidt Center for
Data Science & Environment at UC
Berkeley
Third Act
Third Act Bay Area
Third Act Sacramento
Third Act SoCal
Third Act Upstate New York
TIAA-Divest!
Transition Sebastopol
UNIDOS Network Inc.
Vote Solar
Voters of Tomorrow
Voting 4 Climate & Health
West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and
Safe Jobs
WildEarth Guardians
Youth For Earth
Youth v. Oil
Youth Will
Youth4Climate
CONTACT
Kylie Baranowski, Legislative Director
916-319-2030 | [email protected]