Green groups are rebuking efforts by Republican-controlled states to block climate lawsuits, claiming that state legislators across the country are working together to buffer the oil and gas industry from financial responsibility for the effects of a warming planet.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) on Monday became the first governor to sign into law a bill that provides immunity to corporations and individuals for causing climate-related harm. Under the law, potential legal challengers must show “clear and convincing evidence” that a company violated a specific emissions statute or permit.
The requirement effectively blocks most climate accountability lawsuits, said Delta Merner, lead scientist for the climate accountability campaign at the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“This is a surrender to wealthy special interests and an affront to the public good,” Merner said, adding that Utah’s law “doesn’t just ignore the climate crisis — it elevates the biggest polluters that profit from the climate crisis over communities harmed by climate change.”
