President Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Justice Department to challenge state climate laws and lawsuits, escalating federal efforts to dismantle local environmental regulations.
In short:
- Trump’s executive order instructs Attorney General Pam Bondi to challenge state-level climate laws and lawsuits that the administration claims are unconstitutional or interfere with federal energy policy. States targeted include California, New York, and Vermont.
- The order singles out climate lawsuits brought by states and municipalities against oil companies, and it seeks to dismantle programs like cap-and-trade systems and regulations based on terms such as “environmental justice” or “greenhouse gas emissions.”
- Legal scholars say the order is likely weak in effect, but its potential impact depends on how courts — many of them now led by conservative judges — respond to attempts to override state authority.
Key quote:
“If you’re asking me to evaluate on a scale of 1 to 10 how concerned I am — I’m at a 10.”
— Justin Balik, vice president of states for Evergreen Action
Why this matters:
For decades, state-level climate policies have acted as a vanguard of U.S. environmental action, often stepping in when federal leadership stalls or retreats. California’s cap-and-trade program and New York’s climate lawsuits have become iconic examples of how states use their legal muscle and regulatory creativity to tackle pollution, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protect public health. But with President Trump’s new executive order, that dynamic is shifting. The order effectively curtails the ability of states to set stricter environmental rules than the federal baseline, potentially neutering efforts to block pipelines, restrict oil drilling, or hold fossil fuel companies legally accountable for climate damages. This sets up a volatile legal showdown between blue-state attorneys general and a federal government determined to expand fossil fuel production.
Related: States step up climate action as Trump rolls back policies
