Washington, D.C. — Phil Goldberg, Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, issued the following statement addressing the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Rhode Island’s climate lawsuit:

“The First Circuit’s ruling continues to miss the key point. Rhode Island’s case may be creatively packaged under state law, but the nature of climate change, this litigation and the remedies they seek are all beyond the scope of any state. Recent events—where our energy security is at risk, Americans are facing rising gas prices and the federal government is working to encourage more domestic production—underscore why we cannot afford to subject federal energy policy to a patchwork of approaches from a multitude of state courts. The U.S. Supreme Court has already cautioned against climate litigation for many of these reasons, which is why it is likely the Court will hear these cases again.”