Court Halts California's SB 261 Climate Law
by Melanie Fleming
25 November 2025
On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, California Air Resources Board (CARB) released updated guidance on the climate risk disclosure requirements under SB 261 and SB 253. This comes at quite an interesting time, as many of you have been following the recent news about the temporary halt of SB 261’s implementation by the Ninth Circuit Court.
What does this mean for your organization?
— No legal obligations beginning January 1st: the requirement is formally on hold.
— CARB may choose to open the reporting registry in December, but participation is voluntary for now.
— The timeline from the January 9th hearing remains uncertain. A ruling could take days or even months.
— No new compliance date will be set until that ruling is issued.
— There's no indication (yet) of any changes to the law beyond timing. Compliance requirements could remain the same or could evolve.
For many companies, the pause on SB 261 means more time to prepare, refine internal processes, and strengthen the quality of disclosures.
Pure Strategies Can Help!
To understand what this means for your reporting plans, or if you want to stay ahead - despite the shifting timelines, our team can help! Schedule time with one of our sustainability consulting experts who can navigate next steps for your business.
Written by Melanie Fleming
Melanie Fleming is the Marketing Manager for Pure Strategies where she is responsible for helping to implement the company's strategic marketing plan and elevate brand awareness. She supports the sustainability consulting team with marketing and business development analysis, research, and communication tools. Melanie oversees the success of various marketing initiatives, including events and campaigns. She analyzes marketing and business development trends and manages social media and website content. She contributes to the development of content through planning, writing, and editing client case studies, industry articles, press releases, the Pure Strategies’ blog, and the monthly newsletter.
