Washington, D.C. — Phil Goldberg, Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, issued the following statement in response to the Puerto Rican Municipalities’ lawsuit against manufacturers over the impacts of climate change:

“We share the Puerto Rican municipalities’ drive to tackle the generational challenge of climate change, but this litigation is not the type of action that is going to lead to meaningful solutions. It has no legal merit, which is why federal courts have already rejected similar cases, including one from New York City that was dismissed last year. As the U.S. Supreme Court cautioned more than a decade ago, courts are simply not the appropriate places to decide climate policy. 

If these communities want to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, they should focus on working with manufacturers to foster the policies and innovations required to address this challenge. In addition, the Biden administration has made hundreds of billions of dollars in funding available through federal programs to help communities like those in Puerto Rico mitigate the impacts of climate change. It’s time to move on from this litigation side-show and focus on real solutions.”