Environmental Groups Sue California Over Low Carbon Fuel Standard Changes

The lawsuits allege the updated climate policy incentivizes polluting practices and fails to address environmental and public health harms.

Environmental groups filed lawsuits against the California Air Resources Board (CARB) challenging recent amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS).
The lawsuits claim the policy incentivizes polluting biofuels, including biogas from factory farms, which disproportionately harm low-income and Latino communities in the San Joaquin Valley.
Critics argue the LCFS promotes deforestation and environmental damage through subsidies for biofuels derived from crops like soy and corn as well as manure-based biogas.
CARB defends the program as a key tool in reducing transportation emissions and attracting private investment in clean energy infrastructure.
The plaintiffs demand CARB conduct more thorough environmental reviews and address the alleged negative impacts of the policy on air quality, groundwater, and climate change.