California Air Resources Board Releases 2025 Natural and Working Lands Carbon Inventory

February 11, 2026 – The California Air Resources Board (CARB) released a state-of-the-science inventory of carbon stocks and carbon stock change from all lands in California, as well as harvested wood products. This release represents the most comprehensive estimate ever done of California’s carbon stocks in natural working lands, and also includes a supplemental report on the effects of wildfire and forest management on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon stock change. The inventory shows that even with catastrophic wildfires occurring more recently, the state’s natural and working lands have absorbed more carbon than they released since 2001, helping counterbalance emissions from those fires. In most years, emissions from wildfire were lower than rates of uptake due to net primary production. However, in 2008, 2020, and 2021, wildfire emissions greatly exceeded net uptake by trees, shrubs, plants, and grasses.