The oil industry takes its critics to court

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🗞️ Driving the news: The oil and gas industry is escalating legal and political attacks against state-level climate Superfund laws that aim to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate-related damages
• Industry groups, supported by the Trump administration and allied legal entities, are suing states like Vermont and New York and targeting academics backing these laws
• This represents a broader strategy to weaken accountability efforts and fend off costly climate liability

🔭 The context: Vermont and New York have passed landmark climate Superfund laws, requiring fossil fuel firms to contribute billions toward climate disaster response based on historic emissions
• The American Petroleum Institute and U.S. Chamber of Commerce have filed legal challenges, arguing that states lack authority to impose such penalties
• The laws mirror the federal Superfund law of 1980 but focus on greenhouse gas emissions and climate costs.

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Climate Superfund laws could unlock vital funds for adaptation and disaster recovery amid worsening extreme weather, ensuring polluters—not taxpayers—bear financial responsibility
• Blocking or weakening these laws risks delaying urgent climate resilience efforts
• Legal intimidation tactics may also suppress public discourse and academic input vital to shaping effective climate policy

⏭️ What's next: Lawsuits from industry groups and red states will test the legal boundaries of state-level climate accountability
• The Trump administration is exploring ways to support these challenges, potentially via federal lawsuits
• Meanwhile, more states are considering similar laws, signalling a growing battleground over fossil fuel responsibility

💬 One quote: "The idea that the companies who bear responsibility are now scheming with the president in order to avoid being held accountable is sickening." – Paul Burns, Executive Director, Vermont Public Interest Research Group

📈 One stat: A North Dakota jury awarded a $667 million defamation judgment to a pipeline operator against an environmental group last week

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See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips