Major climate-policy legal battles are looming as the Trump administration and business groups move to block state limits on greenhouse gas emissions and climate-risk disclosures by large US companies. At the same time, the administration is set to roll back the EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding, raising questions about whether the move could undercut an oil-industry defense against climate liability lawsuits.
The uncertainty surrounding the repeal of the EPA’s endangerment has put the industry on edge, Bracewell’s Jeff Holmstead told E&E News. Some of the larger trade associations, he said, have raised concerns about the proposal.
“I don’t want to overstate the industry’s concern,” Holmstead said. “They view it as something that may increase their litigation risk, but companies are also starting to weigh that against the uncertainty of having EPA regulations.”
