CARB Approves Initial Regulations on California Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting and Climate-Related Financial Risk Disclosure

In a public hearing held on February 26, 2026, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) approved the adoption of the regulation to establish the administration and implementation fees under the Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act (SB 253) and the Climate-Related Financial Risk Act (SB 261), as well as the first-year reporting deadline under SB 253. The regulatory text was originally proposed on December 9, 2025 (see Deloitte’s December 11, 2025, DART news item for more information), and included sections on applicability, definitions, fee calculations, fee payment and collection, fee enforcement, and the first-year reporting deadline [KN1] [WK2] under SB 253. CARB adopted the regulatory text with only one exception, requiring that CARB’s staff work alongside the California Department of Insurance to clarify the greenhouse gas emissions reporting requirements for insurance companies under SB 253. If CARB’s staff determines that any modifications are necessary, the modified regulatory language will be available for public comment before it is finalized.

For background on SB 253 and SB 261 as well as recent California climate legislation updates, see Deloitte’s December 4, 2025, Sustainability Spotlight. For more information about the approved regulations and public hearing, see CARB’s Web site and the related press release.