Washington, D.C. — Phil Goldberg, Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the appeal in climate lawsuits brought by San Francisco and Oakland, CA:

“Today’s decision comes as no surprise as it follows the Supreme Court’s ruling last month that asked the appellate courts to consider many of the same issues presented by Oakland’s petition. The appellate courts, including the Ninth Circuit, will be conducting a full review of the federal issues this litigation raises over our nation’s energy policy. The architects behind this litigation campaign purposefully packaged these cases as state law claims to avoid federal courts, which have repeatedly and properly found that these cases present policy issues for Congress and the administration, not liability issues for the courts. If the elected leaders in Oakland and the cities really want to do something about climate change, they should stop trying to game the litigation system and start working with manufacturers on innovations that can make a real difference for their communities.”

-MAP-

The Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) will set the record straight and highlight the concerted, coordinated campaign being waged by plaintiffs’ lawyers, public officials, deep-pocketed foundations and other activists who have sought to undermine and weaken manufacturers in the United States. This campaign will pull back the curtain to expose these efforts and to hold key actors accountable in order to protect our members and American manufacturing workers. The MAP is a project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), which serves as the leading voice of manufacturers in the nation’s courts. Visit us at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.