Michael Gerrard | Lightnews

Dana Drugmand @danad1012.bsky.social · 4d

"Renewable energy is central to the fight against climate change, and this suit alleges that the companies have stood squarely in the way. Michigan has opened up a whole new battleground in the climate fight" said climate law expert @michaelgerrard.bsky.social

www.sierraclub.org/sierra/michi...

Michigan Sues Oil and Gas Companies for Sabotaging Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicles

The suit claims there was a vast conspiracy to maximize profits despite driving a climate crisis

www.sierraclub.org

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 5d

companies for all manner of protected expression concerning fossil fuels."

The case is American Sustainable Business Council v. Hegar. The decision is by Judge Alan Albright (who was named to be bench by President Trump in 2018) of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas. bit.ly/4qlN3Qq

Memorandum Opinion and Order – #50 in American Sustainable Business Council v. Hegar (W.D. Tex., 1:24-cv-01010) – CourtListener.com

Memorandum Opinion and Order

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Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 5d

A federal court just invalidated the Texas law that prohibits state entities from investing in or contracting with companies that boycott fossil fuels. The court found that the law violates the First Amendment by being both overbroad and unconstitutionally vague, and "permits the State to penalize

Memorandum Opinion and Order – #50 in American Sustainable Business Council v. Hegar (W.D. Tex., 1:24-cv-01010) – CourtListener.com

Memorandum Opinion and Order

bit.ly

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 7d

⚖️🌏 🗣️ Call for #Presentations
The Sabin Center & @climate.columbia.edu invite submissions for the Attribution Science & Climate Law Conference, June 10–11, 2026 at Columbia Law School in NYC. Learn more➡️
climate.law.columbia.edu/content/seco...

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 10d

⚖️A Dutch court ordered the Netherlands to protect a Caribbean island from #climatechange.

The Sabin Center’s Dr. Maria Antonia Tigre (@matigre.bsky.social) notes in an interview with @nytimes.com that “there’s a very clear state responsibility now” following the decision.

🔗 buff.ly/d0oabJU

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 11d

📜 On January 26, we filed an amici brief in Renew Northeast v. US DOI, in support of plaintiffs who are challenging a number of anti-renewables federal actions that implicate wind and solar projects on rural private lands. 🍃 ☀️

Read the brief ➡️ buff.ly/vpSirJ6

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 12d

The decision of the Hague District Court (you can toggle to English version): bit.ly/4bvMCiJ

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Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 12d

and states are required to protect particular places or address particular kinds of impacts. It also shows that some domestic courts, which have the power to issue binding orders, will pick up the guidance of international tribunals and turn them into more concrete actions.

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Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 12d

a detailed adaptation plan to be implemented within four years. The case was brought by eight residents of Bonaire and Greenpeace Netherlands.

This decision is a foretaste of more cases to come, where the general obligations of states are made more specific,

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Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 12d

It's highly vulnerable to sea level rise, extreme heat, storms, and flooding The court found the government had discriminated against Bonaire's residents in failing to treat them the same way as residents of the European Netherlands. The court ordered the government to draft

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Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 12d

Important new climate decision: A court in The Hague ruled today that the Dutch government violated European Convention on Human Rights in failing to take sufficient action to protect the residents of Bonaire, an island off the coast of Venezuela that's a special municipality of the Netherlands. 🧵

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Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 12d

⚖️🌏💻Next Monday, February 2, the Sabin Center is hosting a #webinar, in which leading legal scholars and practitioners will explore the evolving landscape of #climatelitigation across #Asia. @matigre.bsky.social will deliver opening remarks.
Info ➡️ buff.ly/JkAYwvA
Register ➡️ buff.ly/CJ8sW10

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 15d

whether to take up one of them (from Boulder, Colorado), but this suit is on completely different grounds and should not be affected by however that one turns out.

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 15d

restrain competition from renewable energy alternatives to fossil fuels and delay the energy transition. The complaint: bit.ly/45tOmVI. Numerous pending suits allege climate change deception by the companies, and the Supreme Court will decide soon ....

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Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 15d

The State of Michigan just launched a novel lawsuit against the big oil companies and the American Petroleum Institute. It charges them with conspiracy to restrain trade under the Sherman Act, the Clayton Act, and the Michigan Antitrust Reform Act. It alleges a coordinated strategy to ...

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Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 19d

🏙️📉 Today, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law releases a new report titled Navigating State Law in Local Climate Action, which unpacks key state-local preemption issues in 19 states.
📰Press release: buff.ly/PZkpFCJ
✍️Blog: buff.ly/wMSG0dD

#Cities #climatelaw #climateaction

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 20d

🚀🎯Today, we & @csldf.org relaunch the #SilencingScience Tracker, a tool that tracks attacks on science. 8 years, 3 administrations, 700+ entries later, we bring you a new & improved platform: silencingscience.org
📰➡️ buff.ly/MaSdIFc
✍️➡️ buff.ly/09VeKPD

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 20d

One year ago today, Trump's second inauguration day, the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law launched our Climate Backtracker to track his actions in moving backwards on climate action. As of today it has exactly 300 items. That's 1.15 for every working day.
climate.law.columbia.edu/content/clim...

Climate Backtracker | Sabin Center for Climate Change Law

climate.law.columbia.edu

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · 21d

As this chart shows, the eleven warmest years since measurements began in 1850 are the eleven most recent years.

Robert Rohde @rarohde.bsky.social · 21d

While the world sometimes seems metaphorically on fire right now, global warming is still progressing as well.

In 2025, global warming delivered the 3rd warmest year since measurements began. A modest step down from 2024's records, but still well above 20th century norms.

🧪🧵

Time series of annual average global mean temperature 1850-2025.

Robert Rohde @rarohde.bsky.social · 21d

While the world sometimes seems metaphorically on fire right now, global warming is still progressing as well.

In 2025, global warming delivered the 3rd warmest year since measurements began. A modest step down from 2024's records, but still well above 20th century norms.

🧪🧵

Clark Mindock @clarkmindock.bsky.social · 25d

NEW: Another judge has blocked the Trump admin’s offshore wind stop-work order, which had stalled development of the Empire Wind project in New York waters.

Read more here: substack.com/profile/1044...

Clark Mindock (@clarkmindock)

NEW: Another judge has blocked the Trump administration’s stop-work order that halted the development of five offshore wind projects along the East Coast. U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, a Tr...

substack.com

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 26d

📰🌪️Proliferation of climate-related disasters points to the urgent need for climate resilience leadership. Sabin Center's Michael Burger, Columbia Climate School's Jeffrey Schlegelmilch & Lucia Bragg outline how FEMA could be a source: scholarship.law.columbia.edu/sabin_climat...

Sabin Center for Climate Change Law @sabincenter.bsky.social · 27d

🚇💳NYC’s iconic #MetroCard has officially been retired after 30+ years, making way for contactless tap-to-pay OMNY. It began as a tech leap over subway tokens and ended as a beloved piece of NYC transit history. Michael Gerrard shares his reflections: blogs.law.columbia.edu/climatechang...

The Happy Birth and Timely Death of the MetroCard - Climate Law Blog

The retirement of the MetroCard as the ball dropped on New Year’s Eve was bittersweet for me. In 1983, as a young lawyer, I took a year’s leave of absence from my law firm to serve as special counsel ...

blogs.law.columbia.edu

Clark Mindock @clarkmindock.bsky.social · 28d

Today, a judge in DC will consider whether to issue a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump admin's SECOND stop work order on offshore wind development.

This is the second time Revolution Wind, whose $6.2B wind farm off CT/RI is roughly 87% complete, has had to ask the court for this relief.

Michael Gerrard @michaelgerrard.bsky.social · Jan 7

Trump pulled US out of Paris Climate Agreement in 2017 & again (after Biden rejoined) in 2025. Now he withdraws US from UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as Project 2025 wanted. In 1992 the Senate unanimously ratified & President GHW Bush signed it. Re-ratifying requires a 2/3 Senate vote.