­Making Polluters Pay for Climate Harms: Policies and Pushback

Overview

As climate-related disasters grow more frequent and costly, state and local governments are pursuing “Make Polluters Pay” strategies to hold major fossil fuel companies financially accountable for the public health costs of climate change. This policy brief explores the litigation and climate superfund laws driving these efforts, including a side-by-side comparison of the nation’s first two climate superfund laws in Vermont and New York. It also examines the legal challenges and pushback these strategies face from industry, the federal government, and some states.