Overview

• Liane Randolph will retire on September 30, and Governor Gavin Newsom named senior climate adviser Lauren Sanchez as chair effective October 1, pending State Senate confirmation.
• Under Randolph, CARB set a path to carbon neutrality by 2045 and implemented the zero-emission vehicle order phasing out gasoline-only sales by 2035, a policy adopted by other states.
• The transition comes as California contests Trump administration moves including resolutions against EV and diesel rules, a lawsuit targeting heavy-duty truck standards, plans to rescind EPA’s endangerment finding, and the cancellation of nearly $4.2 billion in high-speed rail grants.
• The Legislature recently reauthorized California’s cap-and-trade program, which CARB says has directed nearly $10 billion to emissions-reduction projects during Randolph’s tenure.
• Randolph faced criticism earlier this year after saying CARB does not analyze consumer cost impacts, and two refineries have announced planned shutdowns affecting about 20% of the state’s refining capacity.