California environmental justice leader quits air board in carbon market dispute while governor promotes climate action abroad

A significant rift has emerged within California’s environmental leadership as a top environmental justice advisor resigned from the California Air Resources Board this week, citing irreconcilable differences over the state’s carbon trading policies. The resignation came while Governor Gavin Newsom was in Brazil promoting California as a global climate leader at the United Nations’ annual climate summit.

The departure highlights a deepening divide between environmental justice advocates and California’s primary air pollution regulatory agency over how the state’s carbon market programs affect low-income communities and communities of color. Environmental justice groups have long argued that carbon trading systems allow polluting industries to continue harming vulnerable neighborhoods by purchasing credits rather than directly reducing their emissions at the source.

This internal conflict threatens to undermine California’s reputation as a progressive climate leader, particularly as the state continues to expand its cap-and-trade program and other market-based environmental policies. The resignation signals growing frustration among environmental justice leaders who feel their concerns about air quality disparities in disadvantaged communities are being overlooked in favor of broader climate policies that may not address local pollution impacts.

The timing of the resignation, coinciding with Newsom’s international climate diplomacy efforts, underscores the challenge California faces in balancing its ambitious climate goals with environmental justice priorities. As the state pushes forward with market-based solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, pressure is mounting to ensure these policies don’t perpetuate environmental inequalities in communities already disproportionately burdened by pollution.