The Economy & Governance program focuses on issue areas affecting all Californians—from housing and land use, to transportation and voter resources. Some of the recent key projects from this program include an analysis of how well California jurisdictions are doing in meeting their housing goals, as well as a look at what type of housing we need to build and where in order to meet our housing needs without compromising our climate goals. While housing has become a pressing priority for the state and, likewise, for Next 10—we also continue to produce more broadly relevant economy and governance tools, including the California Choices website. This nonpartisan online platform provides in-depth election information and resources to help voters make informed decisions in the voting booth. Through civic engagement and in-depth analyses of some of the state’s most pressing problems, we hope Californians will become empowered to affect change in their communities.
Costs of Climate Change: Financial and Economic Impacts on California and U.S. Households
The costs of a warming climate continue to burden California families long after much-publicized climate disasters strike. Increasing temperatures, extreme events, and other climate-related disruptions affect energy consumption, health and lead to increased costs for households and businesses. These disruptions are also destabilizing insurance and financial markets.
This new report from the Center for Law, Energy & Environment (CLEE) at the University of California, Berkeley and Next 10 shows that disaster costs, health impacts, lost wages and more are disproportionately affecting California households, businesses and the public sector, with no sign of abatement. The report draws from over one hundred primary sources and – for the first time – collects both direct and indirect financial impacts of climate change to Californians and Americans across numerous sectors including lost wages, increasing costs of healthcare, higher food prices, skyrocketing insurance premiums and housing insecurity.