In January, devastating fires in Los Angeles County took dozens of lives and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. The disaster will cost Californians an estimated $250 billion, and it will impact Californians and local economies for years to come.

These fires were fueled by climate change, which resulted from decades of corporate greed and disinformation. And while California faces a $46 billion budget deficit, the fossil fuel companies behind the crisis have been raking in record profits.

The solution is clear: Polluters must pay for their role in climate disasters. Recently, California has joined several states in proposing legislation to ensure that. To lighten the burden of ever-rising climate costs, California leaders must pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act.

The Costs of Climate Change Are Rising

Climate-supercharged disasters like the LA fires are creating financial disasters in communities across the state. Californians face increasingly unaffordable insurance costs, housing costs, property taxes, utility bills, medical expenses, and more. 

Last summer, State Farm dropped thousands of fire insurance policies in LA neighborhoods. Private insurance giants are fleeing the state. The growing scope and severity of climate disasters are forcing people to pay higher prices for less coverage — or go without any insurance at all.

The LA fires highlighted the need for infrastructure updates before disaster strikes, on top of the resources needed for rebuilding and recovery afterward. 

Why is climate-resilient infrastructure important? Local water infrastructure in the Palisades neighborhood was built to fight building fires, not megafires tearing through whole city blocks. That’s why hydrants couldn’t deliver enough water during the fires, which hampered firefighters’ efforts. 

These problems will only get worse as climate change makes fires like these increasingly common. Towns across the state need to adapt their infrastructure to prepare for future disasters.

But many Californians face a cost of living crisis. They can’t and shouldn’t shoulder this burden that they are not responsible for. Instead, polluters must pay for the damage they’ve caused.

Polluters Must Pay For Their Role in This Crisis

Big Oil and Gas has made record profits drilling and burning planet-wrecking fossil fuels. ExxonMobil and Chevron alone made $57 billion in 2023. And they’ve used a litany of dirty tricks to buoy their earnings.

They’ve buried their own climate science and funded disinformation campaigns, slowing down climate action and a renewable energy transition for the sake of their own profits.

They’ve also taken advantage of public subsidies worth billions, including tax breaks, loans, and direct funding for their dirty projects. In California, the industry has exploited one tax loophole worth $146 million a year — that’s $146 million extracted from public funds.

Moreover, they’ve spent big to capture our government and our leaders to preserve their benefits. During the 2024 election cycle, the industry spent $151 million lobbying Congress and $239 million on elections.

These tactics have enabled the fossil fuel industry to spew 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions and almost 90% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Big Oil and Gas has created this climate nightmare, and now they’re sitting on a hoard of cash. A small group of corporations have helmed these efforts, but they still expect us to pay to clean up their mess. 

That’s where the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act comes in. 

California Must Pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act

This bill is one of several similar bills under consideration in states across the country, plus two that have already passed in New York and Vermont. 

California’s Climate Superfund Act would calculate how much major polluters have contributed to the crisis, and then charge them a fee for damages. The funds collected would pay for projects that help Californians recover from climate disasters. They would also help communities prepare their infrastructure for a climate-changed world. 

The bill also prioritizes labor and job standards, promoting good jobs. And it would dedicate 40% of funds to the frontline communities hardest hit by fossil fuel pollution and climate change.

This Climate Superfund Act would raise up to hundreds of billions of dollars to protect Californians and build the infrastructure we need. It will lower costs by protecting taxpayers and families from taking on the burden themselves. 

Food & Water Watch has already organized and successfully passed the New York Climate Superfund bill. Now, we are preparing to do the same in California. At a time when the Trump administration will raise the cost of living and roll back climate action at the federal level, California leaders have an opportunity to fight back at the state level.

The LA fires have emphasized that without action, our communities will face more losses and rising costs. It’s past time that those most responsible for these crises pay up. 

California lawmakers must pass the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act to hold Big Oil and Gas accountable and ensure safer, more sustainable, and more affordable communities across the state.