CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: A CALIFORNIA PERSPECTIVE
Keywords:
Environmental law, climate change, climate resilience, environmental justice, California policy, legal adaptation, CEQA, energy equity, climate governance.Abstract
This article explores how California's legal system addresses climate change through the dual lenses of resilience and environmental justice. Drawing on the perspective of an international law student studying at UC Davis, the article outlines how policy frameworks are evolving to meet both environmental and equity challenges. It analyzes California’s multi-layered legal strategies, including state-level adaptation mandates, local governance innovations, and emerging energy justice issues. With an emphasis on inclusion, the paper reflects on how climate resilience is being shaped not only by scientific and regulatory urgency, but also by the lived experiences of vulnerable communities. Rather than critique, the goal is to observe, document, and gently suggest how California’s approach may serve as a model for future legal development.
References
1. Cnty. of San Mateo, Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment, at 23–25 (2018).
2. Safoev, S. (2024). Laws on Green Energy and Climate Change. American Journal of Education and Learning, 2(5), 470–474.
3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, at 7–8, 111–12 (Hans-Otto Pörtner et al. eds., Working Group II Contribution to Sixth Assessment Report, 2022).
4. Cal. Gov’t Code § 65302(g)(4)(A) (West 2023).
5. S.B. 379, 2015–2016 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2015), codified at Cal. Gov’t Code § 65302(g)(4) (West 2023).
6. A.B. 747, 2019–2020 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019), codified at Cal. Gov’t Code § 65302.15 (West 2023).
7. S.B. 1000, 2015–2016 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2016), codified at Cal. Gov’t Code § 65302(h) (West 2023).
8. Cal. Gov’t Code §§ 65583(a), 65583.2(a) (West 2023).
9. A.B. 1482, 2019–2020 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Cal. 2019), codified at Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.2, 1947.12 (West 2023).
10. Cal. Nat. Res. Agency, California’s Extreme Heat Action Plan, at 3–5 (2022), https://resources.ca.gov/Initiatives/Extreme-Heat-Action-Plan
