Court strikes down New York law that sought to hold fossil fuel companies liable for climate change

A federal court on Monday struck down a New York law that sought to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change.

Brenda Sannes, an Obama appointee, ruled that New York’s “Climate Superfund” law is preempted by federal statutes.

“The Climate Act is an unusual and sweeping statute, designed to address the effects of climate change — a ‘uniquely international problem of national concern,’” Sannes wrote. 

She added that the act is “beyond the limits of state law” and added “it is precisely because the Climate Act operates within an area of law ‘in which the federal interest is so dominant’ that it cannot be enforced.”

In 2024, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed a bill that would hold the companies that have been responsible for the most planet-warming emissions to pay a total of $3 billion a year for 25 years. 

The law is modeled after federal Superfund laws,........

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