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ARTICLE · 25 AUGUST 2025

California Climate Disclosure Laws Survive Preliminary Injunction On First Amendment Challenge: Reporting Obligations Swiftly Approaching

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On August 13, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied a motion for preliminary injunction filed by a coalition of business groups seeking to halt...

United StatesEnvironment
Kenneth J. Markowitz
Kenneth J. Markowitz
Stacey H. Mitchell
Stacey H. Mitchell
Samantha Z. Purdy
Samantha Z. Purdy
Brecken Aubrey Petty
Brecken Aubrey Petty
Charles Edward Smith
Charles Edward Smith
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On August 13, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California denied a motion for preliminary injunction filed by a coalition of business groups seeking to halt implementation of California's corporate climate disclosure laws—SB 253 and SB 261. Senate Bill 253 (SB 253 )1 requires entities that do business in California and whose total annual revenue exceeds $1 billion to disclose Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions beginning in 2026 (covering 2025 data), and Scope 3 emissions beginning in 2027 (covering 2026 data). Senate Bill 261 (SB 261),2 passed as part of the same Climate Accountability legislative package, requires entities that do business in California and whose total annual revenue exceeds $500 million to publicly disclose the business's climate-related financial risks and measures taken to reduce or adapt to that risk online every two years, beginning in 2026.3

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