MAP Statement On City of Baltimore’s Climate Lawsuit Dismissal
Washington, D.C. – Phil Goldberg, Special Counsel for the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, issued the following statement in response to the City of Baltimore’s climate lawsuit’s dismissal today.
“We applaud the dismissal of the City of Baltimore’s lawsuit, which follows similar decisions from the Second Circuit and the Delaware Superior Court. As the Circuit Court for Baltimore City stated in its opinion, Baltimore’s complaint is ‘artful but not sustainable.’ Regulation of interstate and international greenhouse gas emissions is beyond the role of state law and must be governed by uniform federal law, both as a matter of constitutional federalism and under the Clean Air Act.
“The conflict between this ruling rejecting Baltimore’s climate tort claims and other rulings allowing similar claims to proceed underscores why the Supreme Court should hear the Honolulu appeal and establish a uniform rule of federal law that can be applied wherever these cases are brought.”