Human activity is causing global climate change, which will have increasingly significant impacts on California and its coastal environments and communities. The Coastal Act mandates the California Coastal Commission to "protect, conserve, restore, and enhance" the state's coastal resources. As a result, the Commission must consider climate change, including global warming and sea level rise, through its planning, regulatory, and educational activities, and work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the detrimental impacts of global warming on the California coast.

Numerous pieces of California legislation inform the Commission's response to climate change by setting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, promoting sustainable transportation and land use planning, and more. Although the California Air Resources Board is the primary agency responsible for monitoring and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Coastal Commission is invested in helping meet the state's goals. The Commission reviews coastal development projects on a case-by-case basis in an effort to reduce emissions and prepare for potential impacts. The Commission's staff meets regularly to investigate and discuss climate change issues and planning related to topics including but not limited to sea level rise, green building, local governments and local coastal programs (LCPs), smart growth, public education and information, interagency coordination, adaptation to climate change impacts, and carbon sequestration.