California's Senate Bill 253 (Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act) and Senate Bill 261 (Climate-Related Financial Risk Act) represent the most ambitious state-level climate disclosure mandates in U.S. history.
SB-253 applies to companies with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion that do business in California and requires public disclosure of Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas emissions, aligned with the GHG Protocol. SB-261 applies to companies with annual revenues exceeding $500 million that do business in California and requires biennial climate-related financial risk disclosures aligned with the TCFD framework.
As of December 2025, SB-253 is advancing through formal rulemaking, while SB-261 enforcement is stayed pending appeal, with CARB opening a voluntary submission pathway and committing to issue a revised reporting timeline following resolution of the litigation.
These California climate laws don't just impact California-headquartered firms — they affect any business entities operating in the Golden State that meet the revenue threshold, regardless of where they're incorporated.
That's where specialized software comes in. The right platform transforms compliance from a burden into a competitive advantage, streamlining data collection, automating emissions calculations, and ensuring audit-ready reporting for the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Let’s dive into which platforms are best for compliance and what to look for as you navigate the options.
💡 Need a deeper dive into the requirements? Check out our comprehensive guide on California's SB 253 and SB 261 compliance requirements.
The 8 best solutions for California climate compliance
1. Pulsora
Pulsora's enterprise sustainability platform is purpose-built for the scale and complexity of California's climate disclosure laws. The platform combines audit-ready carbon accounting with intelligent climate risk management and TCFD-aligned reporting workflows.
California-specific features:
- Complete scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions tracking aligned with GHG Protocol standards
- TCFD framework integration for climate-related financial risk assessments
- Automated data collection from supply chain partners and value chain stakeholders
- Third-party assurance preparation with audit trails and documentation
- California-specific reporting templates for CARB submission requirements
- PulsoraAI for intelligent emissions factor selection and gap-filling
Key differentiators:
- Native ESG data management eliminates system fragmentation
- Cascading supplier engagement workflows for comprehensive scope 3 coverage
- Real-time compliance monitoring against evolving California disclosure rules
- Scenario modeling for climate impact assessments and net-zero planning
Clients of note:
- ASM Global
- Workday
- Charles Taylor
- Sisecam
👉 Pulsora's California climate compliance solution integrates seamlessly with broader sustainability reporting frameworks including CSRD, CDP, and ISSB standards.
2. Watershed
Watershed positions itself as a comprehensive climate data platform specifically designed for California's new requirements. The platform emphasizes primary emissions data collection and supplier collaboration across all three greenhouse gas emissions scopes.
California-specific features:
- Dedicated SB-253/SB-261 compliance modules
- Automated scope 3 emissions calculations with supplier data integration
- TCFD-aligned financial risk disclosure templates
- California-focused implementation support and advisory services
Clients of note:
- Dollar Tree
- Roche
- Etsy
- KKR
3. Persefoni
Persefoni's carbon management platform includes specific modules for navigating California's climate disclosure mandates, with particular strength in emissions calculations and scenario analysis for climate-related financial risks.
California-specific features:
- SB-253 emissions reporting workflows with GHG Protocol alignment
- Climate risk scenario modeling for SB-261 compliance
- Regulatory update tracking for California rulemaking processes
- Integration with financial systems for materiality assessments
Clients of note:
- Burlington Stores
- TPG
- Wesco International
- Regency Centers
4. Sphera
Sphera's corporate sustainability platform includes comprehensive California climate law compliance capabilities, particularly strong for manufacturers and industrial companies with complex supply chains.
California-specific features:
- End-to-end emissions tracking across all scopes with California reporting formats
- Life cycle assessment integration for detailed scope 3 analysis
- Risk management workflows aligned with TCFD requirements
- Compliance dashboard specific to California Air Resources Board requirements
Clients of note:
- Danone
- Shaw Industries
- Arcadis
- Struers
5. CarbonChain
CarbonChain offers supply chain-focused emissions tracking with specific attention to California's emissions disclosure requirements, particularly valuable for companies with complex value chains. It doesn’t, however, offer the ESG insight necessary for California’s climate initiatives.
California-specific features:
- Supply chain emissions mapping aligned with California's scope 3 requirements
- Revenue threshold analysis to determine SB-253/SB-261 applicability
- Climate risk assessment tools for financial disclosures
- California-specific regulatory compliance monitoring
Key differentiators:
- Deep supply chain emissions expertise
- Strong focus on scope 3 emissions across complex value chains
- Regulatory intelligence specific to California climate laws
7. Terrascope
Terrascope's sustainability platform includes dedicated modules for California climate compliance, with particular strength in emissions data management and supplier collaboration. Like CarbonChain, it also may not provide the depth required by reporting entities for California’s SB-261 and SB-253.
California-specific features:
- SB-253 emissions inventory management with audit-ready documentation
- Climate risk disclosure workflows following TCFD framework requirements
- Supplier engagement tools for comprehensive scope 3 data collection
- California regulatory update tracking and compliance alerts
Key differentiators:
- User-friendly interface designed for distributed sustainability teams
- Strong data visualization for stakeholder communications
- Comprehensive regulatory intelligence and updates
8. Sweep
Sweep's enterprise sustainability platform includes specific California climate law compliance capabilities, with emphasis on collaborative data collection and automated reporting.
California-specific features:
- SB-253/SB-261 compliance project templates and workflows
- Automated emissions calculations with California-specific factors
- Climate risk assessment tools aligned with TCFD requirements
- CARB-ready reporting exports and documentation
Key differentiators:
- Strong collaborative features for distributed teams
- AI-powered insights and recommendations for compliance optimization
- Integrated decarbonization planning alongside compliance tracking
What makes California climate bill compliance software unique?
California climate bills compliance software refers to specialized platforms designed to help companies meet the complex requirements of SB-253 and SB-261. These solutions go beyond basic carbon accounting to provide integrated workflows for emissions tracking, climate risk assessment, and regulatory reporting.
SB-253 requires comprehensive Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions reporting aligned with the GHG Protocol, while SB-261 demands biennial climate-related financial risk reports following the TCFD framework.
SB-253 includes phased third-party assurance requirements, beginning with limited assurance and progressing toward reasonable assurance by 2030, subject to final CARB rulemaking.
While SB-261 enforcement is currently paused, CARB has signaled that future compliance will continue to emphasize credible, decision-useful climate risk disclosures supported by verifiable data and governance controls.
Software addresses several critical compliance challenges:
- Emissions reporting (SB-253): Complete greenhouse gas emissions inventory across scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, aligned with GHG Protocol standards and ready for third-party assurance.
- Climate risk disclosure (SB-261): Biennial climate-related financial risk reports following the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework, including physical and transition risk assessments.
- Data management: Centralized collection and validation of emissions data from facilities, suppliers, and other value chain partners, with audit trails required for assurance processes.
- Regulatory compliance: Automated tracking of evolving California disclosure rules, penalty avoidance, and submission-ready reporting for the California Air Resources Board.
The best platforms integrate these capabilities into unified workflows that eliminate data silos and ensure consistency across all climate disclosures.
What to look for in software to comply with California SB-253 and SB-261
Not all sustainability platforms are equipped to handle California's specific requirements. When evaluating solutions, prioritize these critical capabilities:
Complete Scope 1, 2, and 3 coverage
California's SB-253 requires comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions reporting across all three scopes. Your software must support detailed emissions calculations for direct emissions (scope 1), indirect emissions from purchased energy (scope 2), and value chain emissions (scope 3) across all 15 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.
TCFD framework integration
SB-261 mandates climate-related financial risk disclosures aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures framework. Look for platforms with native TCFD workflows that guide users through governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics disclosure requirements.
Third-party assurance preparation
Both California climate laws require third-party assurance of reported data. Your software should provide comprehensive audit trails, source documentation, and assurance-ready data packages. Limited assurance capabilities are required immediately, with reasonable assurance needed for certain emissions by 2030.
Supply chain engagement tools
Scope 3 emissions often represent 70-80% of a company's total carbon footprint, making supplier collaboration essential. The best platforms provide automated supplier outreach, data collection workflows, and performance benchmarking to ensure comprehensive value chain coverage.
California-specific regulatory intelligence
California's climate disclosure laws are still evolving through ongoing rulemaking by CARB. Choose software that provides real-time regulatory updates, compliance alerts, and California-specific guidance as requirements are clarified.
Revenue threshold analysis
Both laws apply to companies meeting specific annual revenue thresholds ($1 billion for SB-253, $500 million for SB-261) that do business in California. Your software should help determine applicability and track changes in business operations that might trigger new requirements.
Integrated financial data
Climate-related financial risk assessments require integration with financial systems and business intelligence platforms. Look for solutions that can access financial data, perform materiality assessments, and quantify climate impacts on business operations.
Multi-framework alignment
Companies subject to California's laws often face other sustainability reporting frameworks including CSRD, CDP, ISSB, and SEC climate rules. Choose platforms that map data across multiple frameworks to avoid duplicate efforts and ensure consistency.
Automated emissions calculations
Manual emissions calculations are error-prone and time-intensive. The best California compliance software uses automated calculations with built-in emissions factors, intelligent gap-filling for missing data, and scenario modeling for climate impact assessments.
Why you need integrated climate risk and emissions Management
California's climate disclosure laws recognize that emissions tracking and financial risk assessment are interconnected challenges. Fragmented systems create compliance gaps, inconsistent methodologies, and audit difficulties.
Integrated platforms that manage both SB-253 and SB-261 requirements solve for:
- Data consistency across emissions reporting and risk disclosures
- Audit efficiency through unified documentation and assurance preparation
- Strategic alignment between climate data and business planning processes
- Stakeholder communication via consistent messaging across all climate disclosures
- Regulatory efficiency through single-platform compliance with multiple California requirements
Companies using separate systems for emissions tracking and risk assessment often struggle with data reconciliation, duplicate supplier requests, and inconsistent climate narratives across disclosures.
How California SB-253 and SB-261 software supports beyond compliance
While meeting regulatory requirements is the immediate driver, the best California climate software transforms compliance data into strategic business intelligence:
Climate risk management
Moving beyond disclosure to active risk management, platforms help companies identify physical and transition risks, model climate scenarios, and develop adaptation strategies that protect business continuity.
Decarbonization planning
Emissions data becomes the foundation for science-based target setting and net-zero pathway development. Advanced platforms model reduction scenarios, prioritize interventions, and track progress against climate commitments.
Supply chain optimization
Comprehensive scope 3 data reveals carbon hotspots and reduction opportunities across the value chain. Companies can optimize sourcing decisions, engage high-impact suppliers, and build climate considerations into procurement processes.
Stakeholder communication
Consistent, audit-ready climate data supports communications with investors, customers, and other stakeholders who increasingly expect transparent climate performance and risk management.
Competitive advantage
Early compliance preparation and robust climate data management create competitive advantages in customer relationships, investor communications, and talent attraction as climate change performance becomes a business differentiator.
Software implementation timeline for California SB-253 (and SB-261 readiness)
With SB-253 rulemaking underway and an initial reporting deadline proposed for August 2026, companies should begin implementation now to ensure audit-ready emissions data and scalable supplier engagement:
- Assessment and selection
- Evaluate current climate data capabilities and gaps
- Assess California law applicability based on revenue threshold and business operations
- Select software platform and begin implementation planning
- Data foundation
- Configure emissions tracking workflows across all three scopes
- Establish supplier engagement processes for scope 3 data collection
- Integrate financial systems for climate risk assessments
- Testing and validation
- Conduct initial emissions calculations and risk assessments
- Test third-party assurance readiness with audit trail documentation
- Validate reporting formats against California Air Resources Board requirements
- Compliance preparation
- Complete first-year emissions inventory and risk disclosures
- Finalize third-party assurance arrangements and documentation
- Prepare submission materials for January 2026 deadline
Companies that delay implementation risk scrambling to meet California's requirements and may face penalties for non-compliance or inadequate disclosures.
Compliance with California’s climate bills requires strategic software selection
The most successful companies won't just meet California's climate disclosure mandates—they'll use compliance as a catalyst for broader climate action and business transformation.
If you're still evaluating options or looking to upgrade from basic carbon tracking, 2025 is the critical year to implement comprehensive California climate compliance capabilities.
Pulsora is the top choice for enterprises navigating California's climate laws with confidence. With integrated emissions tracking, climate risk management, and audit-ready reporting, it's more than software — it's your partner for turning California compliance into competitive advantage.
Ready to tackle California's climate requirements? Request a personalized demo to see how Pulsora can prepare your organization for SB-253 and SB-261 compliance.
