The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has developed new resources to help companies prepare for the first round of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting under Senate Bill 253 (SB 253). Under CARB’s Initial Regulation1, reporting entities must submit their 2026 Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reports by November 10, 2026, subject to approval of the regulation by the California Office of Administrative Law. We recently wrote about the latest SB 253-related developments.
To simplify first-year reporting and associated fee requirements, CARB has launched a voluntary 2026 Report Intake Platform. In addition to the platform, CARB also has released a document captioned “California Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reporting: Guidance for SB 253 2026 Reporting Submittals”, intended to assist reporting entities prepare and submit inaugural reports under SB 253. CARB has also released a video tutorial providing a guided walkthrough of the voluntary intake platform.
Companies may use the platform to:
- Provide CARB with contact information in advance of the reporting deadline.
- Submit their Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions reports directly.
Use of the platform is not mandatory. Reporting entities may instead submit emissions reports and contact information by email to climatedisclosure@arb.ca.gov.
Why it matters: With the November 10 deadline for reporting approaching, companies subject to SB 253 should be finalizing their Scope 1 and Scope 2 inventories, determining how they intend to submit their reports and confirming internal responsibility for the filing process. CARB’s new resources provide additional clarity on the mechanics of first-year reporting, even as the broader regulatory framework continues to take evolve.
Our team is available to assist with any questions or assistance you may require in order to timely comply with SB 253’s requirements.
[1] Please note that CARB established August 10, 2026, as the initial deadline for reports pursuant to SB 253; however, that regulatory package was withdrawn by CARB on May 20, 2026, with the agency announcing it would subsequently resubmit the package. The revised reporting deadline of November 10, 2026, was announced by CARB during a public workshop held on July 21, 2026, which we wrote about here.
