The Trump administration and Department of Justice lack legal grounds to overturn most state climate laws, legal experts said Wednesday following a presidential executive order targeting such mandates.
States have the right to implement rules to address climate change, they said, such as the cap-and-trade carbon market in California. President Donald Trump in his first presidency lost a legal battle to nullify the market.
Trump‘s executive order late Tuesday also asks Attorney General Pam Bondi to block “illegal” state lawsuits against the oil industry that seek to recoup damages for climate impacts.
If the Department of Justice intervenes in the state cases, a drawn-out legal battle could tap the resources of smaller states, such as Vermont, experts said.
