Trump moves to block state climate rules and lawsuits tied to fossil fuel emissions

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.

Adam Aton and Lesley Clark report for E&E News.

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.

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Credit: Douglas Fischer

One lawyer's groundbreaking work in shaping climate law

As governments stall and emissions climb, human rights lawyers like Monica Feria-Tinta are turning to the courts to force climate action — one tree, island, or river at a time.

Samira Shackle reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Feria-Tinta is pioneering legal strategies that argue climate inaction violates human rights, helping Indigenous and vulnerable communities take their cases to global courts.
Her work includes landmark victories like the Torres Strait case, where the United Nations ruled Australia failed to protect islanders from climate harm, and Ecuador’s Los Cedros forest, which won legal rights as a living entity.
While legal wins are often slow and hard-fought, they’re shifting the global legal landscape, transforming courts into battlegrounds where climate justice and biodiversity now have a voice.

Key quote:

“Whether it’s a single tree, or a whole community depending on a river, what is at stake is the future of humanity.”

— Monica Feria-Tinta

Why this matters:

As heat, floods, and displacement intensify, the courtroom has become a potent line of defense. Climate litigation can hold powerful players accountable, push policy change, and help protect the ecosystems our health depends on — even when other systems fail. These legal wins are slow, complex, and anything but guaranteed. But they’re a signal that the courtroom is becoming one of the last places where the planet still stands a fighting chance.

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