Washington, D.C. – Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre released the following statement on today’s announcement by the Rhode Island Attorney General that the state is suing manufacturers over discredited climate change allegations:

“Lawsuits targeting manufacturers do nothing to address climate change, and as history has demonstrated, these lawsuits stand little chance in the courtroom. Just last week, U.S. District Judge William Alsup dismissed similar lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Oakland, writing, “No plaintiff has ever succeeded in bringing a nuisance claim based on global warming.”

“It’s time for politicians and trial lawyers to put an end to this frivolous litigation. Taxpayer resources should not be used for baseless lawsuits that are designed to enrich trial lawyers and grab headlines for politicians. This abuse of our legal system does nothing to advance meaningful solutions, which manufacturers are focused on every day.”

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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.

Timmons Praises Calif. Judge’s Dismissal of Baseless Climate Lawsuit

Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons released the following statement responding to U.S. District Judge William Alsup’s dismissal of the climate lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Oakland targeting manufacturers:

“From the moment these baseless lawsuits were filed, we have argued that the courtroom was not the proper venue to address this global challenge,” said Timmons. “Judge Alsup agreed. Other municipalities around the country who have filed similar lawsuits should take note as those complaints are likely to end the same way.  New York City, Boulder, and the other California municipalities should withdraw their complaints and follow the lead of others that are focused on meaningful solutions.”

The NAM has led the business community’s response to the wave frivolous public nuisance lawsuits targeting manufacturers by forming the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), headed by Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre. A project of the NAM’s Manufacturers’ Center for Legal Action (MCLA), MAP has fought to 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. More information can be found at mfgaccountabilityproject.org.

 

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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.

 

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Washington, D.C. – The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) ahead of tomorrow’s hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on the defendants’ motion to dismiss the climate lawsuit filed by New York City against manufacturers:

“Similar litigation has been tried in the past and rejected by the courts yet trial attorneys, who stand to gain large contingency fees, persist in filing baseless litigation that undermines the continued success of one our nation’s most vibrant sectors. The Wall Street Journal editorial board termed this litigation ‘The Climate Change Tort Racket.’

By providing products that all Americans depend upon every day, while at the same time actively reducing their environmental footprint, manufacturers continue to demonstrate it is possible to square economic needs with environmental stewardship. Multiple judicial rulings from multiple courts is an untenable solution.  We concur with the 15 state attorneys general who filed an amicus brief that the motion to dismiss should be granted in the New York City lawsuit.”

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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.

Washington, DC—Today, the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), an arm of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), joined 26 state manufacturing groups in delivering a strong message to the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) encouraging mayors across the country to stand up against trial attorneys and politicians who seek to punish the job creators and energy providers that their citizens rely on through involvement in baseless public nuisance lawsuits targeting manufacturers. The groups delivered a joint letter raising the issue ahead of the 86th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston, Massachusetts, in response to this growing trend.

The organizations asked the USCM “to consider how these cases have affected your courtrooms and constituents, and whether steps can be taken to establish guidelines for how mayors should engage on such matters.” Over the past year, thirteen cities and counties across the country have engaged in this misguided litigation against manufacturers, most recently in Washington state.

“Mayors are signing their names to lawsuits that will do more to undermine the resurgence of the manufacturing sector than to address the issues they intend to solve through the courts. Manufacturers are standing up today to highlight this concerning trend of litigation from Imperial Beach, California, to New York City,” said Lindsey de la Torre, Executive Director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project.

Read the full letter sent to the USCM here.

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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.

Washington, D.C. — In response to fifteen state attorneys general filing an amicus brief in support of manufacturers before Judge John Keenan in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Lindsey de la Torre, Executive Director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), released the following statement:

“Once again, 15 state attorneys general have joined together in defense of manufacturers across the nation as trial lawyers continue to file misguided lawsuits. With continued support from the attorneys general, manufacturers can focus their efforts on solutions rather than fighting litigation that legal precedent has demonstrated will ultimately fail.”

In their brief, the attorneys general note that the courts are not the proper forum to address this global issue:

“But the questions of global climate change and its effects—and the proper balance of regulatory and commercial activity—are political questions not suited for resolution by any court. Indeed, such judicial resolution would trample Congress’s carefully-calibrated process of cooperative federalism where States work in tandem with EPA to administer the federal Clean Air Act.”

The amicus brief was signed by attorneys general from Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

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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.

“This complex issue will not be solved through a patchwork of decisions, but rather through meaningful solutions.”

Washington, D.C. – The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the National Association of Manufacturers’ (NAM) Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) ahead of tomorrow’s hearing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on the motion to dismiss the climate lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Oakland against manufacturers:

“Legal precedent is clear: the Supreme Court has held that these lawsuits are pre-empted by the Clean Air Act. These cases are simply another example of trial attorneys attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of manufacturers and manufacturing workers. These issues require the careful balancing of the nation’s energy needs and economic interests along with environmental concerns and are best addressed through legislative channels, not in the courtroom. This complex issue will not be solved through a patchwork of decisions, but rather through meaningful solutions. We agree with the 15 state attorneys general and the Department of Justice who filed amicus briefs in support of the motion to dismiss in the San Francisco and Oakland cases.”

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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.

Washington, D.C. — In response to the latest climate lawsuit filed by King County, Washington State against manufacturers, Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), released the following statement:

“Lawsuits targeting manufacturers do nothing to address climate change, but will do plenty to line the pockets of plaintiffs’ attorneys — and in this case, the very same attorneys behind countless other public nuisance lawsuits throughout the country. As history has demonstrated, these lawsuits stand little chance in the courtroom.

“While these plaintiffs’ attorneys are working overtime to advance their own interests through the courts, manufacturers are working toward meaningful solutions and are reducing emissions.”

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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.

Washington, D.C. — In response to fifteen state attorneys general filing an amicus brief in support of manufacturers before Judge William Alsup in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP), released the following statement:

“This brief signed by 15 attorneys general from across the country is a significant step in defending manufacturers in America and discouraging further costly litigation. With strong support from the attorneys general across the country, manufacturers look to spend less time in the courtroom fighting baseless lawsuits that enrich trial lawyers and more time working towards meaningful solutions.”

Among the signees is Attorney General Cynthia Coffman of Colorado, where a lawsuit was just filed by the City of Boulder, Boulder County and San Miguel County.

In their brief, the attorneys general note the potential slippery slope presented by the lawsuits, writing, “States have an especially strong interest in this case because the list of potential defendants is limitless. Plaintiffs’ theory of liability involves nothing more specific than promoting the use of fossil fuels. As utility owners, power plant operators, and generally significant users of fossil fuels (through facilities, vehicle fleets and highway construction, among other functions), States and their political subdivisions themselves may be future defendants in similar actions.”

The amicus brief was signed by attorneys general from Indiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Manufacturers Respond to Boulder Lawsuit

Washington, D.C.—The following statement was released by Lindsey de la Torre, executive director of the Manufacturers’ Accountability project (MAP), a Project of the National Association of Manufacturers, in response to reports that Colorado municipalities, including the City of Boulder, are planning to file a climate lawsuit against manufacturers:

“Today in Colorado, we’re seeing another example of trial attorneys attempting to enrich themselves at the expense of manufacturers and manufacturing workers. These baseless lawsuits do nothing to improve the environment and are a waste of taxpayer resources. While manufacturers are working toward meaningful solutions and are reducing emissions, cities are wasting time suing them for making products Americans rely on for their everyday lives.”

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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.

The NAM’s Manufacturers’ Accountability Project (MAP) is calling on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate potential wrongdoing committed by eight California municipalities and New York City in their municipal bond offerings.

These nine municipalities have brought lawsuits seeking damages from manufacturers for the impacts of climate change on their cities. These claims for damages, however, run contrary to the municipalities’ assessments of the impacts of climate change in their municipal bond offerings, raising serious questions about whether bondholders – or the courts – have been misled.

“Over the course of our work advocating for manufacturers in America, we have seen several examples of municipalities asserting specific impacts of climate change. Conversely, bonds offered by these same municipalities state that such predictions are impossible to measure,” MAP Executive Director Lindsey de la Torre wrote in a letter to the SEC’s Public Finance Abuse Unit. “The NAM is increasingly concerned by the municipalities assertions in their legal filings and the approach used to attract investors to its bond offerings.”

Read the full letter sent to the SEC’s Public Finance Abuse Unit here.