The California Air Resources Board (CARB) published a preliminary list of the entities that might have to report climate emissions and climate risks starting in 2026. CARB listed 4,160 companies and is asking for feedback from entities that believe they may be subject to these requirements, or may qualify for an exemption.
The list is preliminary, and CARB notes that “[e]ach potentially-regulated entity remains responsible for compliance with statutory requirements, regardless of whether it was included in staff’s preliminary list or outreach.”
SB 253, known as the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act, requires companies with revenues of more than $1 billion to report their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to both operations and their supply chain. SB 261 requires certain companies to disclose publicly their climate-related financial risks.
A coalition of business groups is challenging the laws , contenting that they violate the First Amendment by compelling speech on a “politically controversial” topic and that the Clean Air Act preempts California’s “de facto regulations of greenhouse-gas emissions nationwide.”
In August 2025, a federal judge denied a request from business groups for a preliminary injunction to block implementation of the laws while their lawsuit proceeds through the courts.
The California laws remain the key climate reporting laws in the country after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) voted in March 2025 to end its defense of its emissions and climate- risk reporting rules.