The California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) is a prominent public pension fund headquartered in the United States, specifically in West Sacramento, California. Established in 1913, CalSTRS serves over 900,000 members, primarily educators and school staff across California, making it one of the largest pension funds in the world. CalSTRS focuses on providing retirement, disability, and survivor benefits, ensuring financial security for its members. Its unique investment strategy emphasises sustainable and responsible investing, setting it apart in the pension industry. With a strong commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, CalSTRS has achieved notable recognition for its proactive approach to investment management. As a leader in the public pension sector, CalSTRS continues to innovate and adapt, maintaining a robust market position while prioritising the long-term financial health of its members.
How does California State Teachers Retirement System's carbon action stack up? DitchCarbon scores companies based on their carbon action and commitment to reducing emissions. Read about our methodology to learn more.
Mean score of companies in the Other Services industry. Comparing a company's score to the industry average can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
California State Teachers Retirement System's score of 37 is higher than 62% of the industry. This can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
In 2023, the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) reported total carbon emissions of approximately 239,000 kg CO2e. This figure includes Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity, which accounted for about 923,000 kg CO2e. The previous year, 2022, saw total emissions of approximately 366,000 kg CO2e, with Scope 2 emissions at about 977,000 kg CO2e. CalSTRS is committed to achieving net zero emissions for both Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2035, in alignment with California's Senate Bill 1203, which encourages state agencies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This long-term target reflects their ongoing efforts to comply with sustainability policies and reduce enterprise greenhouse gas emissions. Historically, CalSTRS has set reduction targets, including a 30% reduction in Scope 1 emissions by 2020 and a 16% reduction in Scope 2 emissions by the same year. These initiatives demonstrate CalSTRS' commitment to sustainability and climate action within the education sector.
Access structured emissions data, company-specific emission factors, and source documents
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | 238,000 | 000,000 | 000,000 | - | - | - |
| Scope 2 | 1,897,000 | 0,000,000 | 0,000,000 | 000,000 | 000,000 | 000,000 |
| Scope 3 | 777,000 | 000,000 | 000,000 | - | - | - |
California State Teachers Retirement System's Scope 3 emissions, which increased by 6% last year and increased by approximately 6% since 2015, demonstrating supply chain emissions tracking. A significant portion of their carbon footprint comes from suppliers and value chain emissions, with Scope 3 emissions accounting for 34% of total emissions under the GHG Protocol, with "Business Travel" representing nearly all of their reported Scope 3 footprint.
Climate goals typically focus on 2030 interim targets and 2050 net-zero commitments, aligned with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to ensure alignment with global climate goals.
California State Teachers Retirement System has not publicly committed to specific 2030 or 2050 climate goals through the major frameworks we track. Companies often set interim 2030 targets and long-term 2050 net-zero goals to demonstrate measurable progress toward decarbonization.

