The California Supreme Court has elevated the stakes even further on what has already developed into a critically important question for the future of greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation in the state. On March 11, 2015, the Supreme Court granted review of the Court of Appeal’s opinion in Cleveland National Forest Foundation et al. v. San Diego Association of Governments to answer the following specific question:

Must the environmental impact report for a regional transportation plan include an analysis of the plan’s consistency with the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals reflected in Executive Order No. S-3-05 to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act (Pub. Resources §21000 et seq.)?