Bridging Science and Policy for a Stronger California: CCST Releases 2024/25 Annual Report

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — CCST’s 2024/25 Annual Report highlights a year of progress in bridging science and policy to help strengthen California’s future. The past year underscored the importance of our mission. As California faced evolving challenges—from year-round wildfire threats to the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence—CCST provided trusted, nonpartisan scientific guidance to inform policy decisions.

What’s Inside

Inside the report, you’ll find examples of how we’ve expanded our impact across critical areas:

• Launching the AI Policy Initiative to guide responsible innovation
• Deepening our Disaster Resilience Initiative to address interconnected climate challenges
• Advancing energy solutions, including hydrogen research
• Celebrating 15 years of our CCST Science & Technology Policy Fellowship

Message from Leadership

Read the introductory message from Board Chair Peter Cowhey and CEO Julianne McCall below and read the full Annual Report online:

We are living through a time of extraordinary transformation. From diverse climate impacts to the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, California is confronting challenges that demand bold leadership and informed decision-making. In 2024, CCST stepped up to meet this moment—bridging science and policy to forge a more resilient, equitable, and innovative future for our state.

Over the past year, CCST expanded its impact across some of California’s most urgent priorities: wildfire resilience, clean energy, disaster preparedness, and responsible AI. Through peer-reviewed reports, expert briefings, cross-sector convenings, and timely, nonpartisan analysis, we continued to deliver the trusted scientific insight that policymakers need to make informed decisions.

Since CCST was first established in 1988, by unanimous vote of the California Legislature, our strength has always come from our partnerships. We connect world-class science and technology experts with policymakers, co-design programs with state agencies and philanthropic organizations, and foster a dynamic network of cross-sector leaders. This collaborative approach has established CCST as a trusted bridge between scientific knowledge and public policy.

At the heart of this model is our Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, which celebrated its 15th year in 2024. Our Fellows—embedded across the Capitol and Executive Branch—are a driving force supporting evidence-based policymaking in California.

None of this progress would be possible without the people who power CCST: our staff, board, fellows, alumni, advisors, partners, and supporters. Our communities have always risen to the occasion. As you’ll see in the following pages, together we are not just responding to change; we are helping to shape it. And now more than ever, we must come together to see California through the coming year and the challenges we face.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Read the Full Report

Read the Full Annual Report Online

About CCST

The California Council on Science and Technology is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that engages leading experts in science and technology to advise state policymakers — ensuring that California policy is strengthened and informed by scientific knowledge, research, and innovation. Established via a unanimous vote of the Legislature in 1988, CCST has been making California’s policies stronger with science and technology for nearly 40 years.