Washington, D.C. — Phil Goldberg, Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, issued the following statement in response to the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations voluntary dismissal of their climate lawsuit, after a federal judge ruled it belongs in federal court. This marks the second climate case to be voluntarily dismissed, after King County, WA did so in September 2021.

“PCFFA’s decision to voluntarily dismiss this lawsuit shines a light on the fact that the goal of this litigation campaign is to avoid the federal courts, which have a history of rejecting climate lawsuits. As these courts have recognized, addressing climate change is an important public policy matter for Congress, EPA and countries around the world, not a liability issue for our courts. We have every confidence that, at the end of the day, state courts will reach the same conclusion, that selling Americans the energy we all need and use every day is not a liability inducing event.

“When it comes to the fight against climate change, we should be working with, not against, each other. Meaningful action requires leadership and innovation so we can produce and use energy in ways that are affordable for people and sustainable for the planet.”