A law firm representing young people in a climate lawsuit against the federal government is partially siding with fossil fuel interests that want to remove California’s long-standing authority to set strict rules on tailpipe emissions.
Our Children’s Trust and the American Petroleum Institute are among a number of groups that filed “friend of the court” briefs Monday asking the Supreme Court to find that those challenging California’s authority have legal standing to bring their lawsuit.
“Our Children’s Trust usually disagrees with petitioners, fossil fuel companies, including on the merits of their present suit,” the Our Children’s Trust attorneys said in the firm’s amicus brief. “Nevertheless, Our Children’s Trust regularly litigates and has expertise on the issue of Article III standing and federal court jurisdiction.”
Oil and biofuel industry lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to revoke California’s Clean Air Act waiver, arguing that the state should not be given special privileges to set greenhouse gas emissions standards that are stronger than the federal government’s. The justices agreed to take up the case — but said they would only decide whether fossil fuel interest groups behind the case had standing to file their lawsuit.