The Trump administration’s ongoing battle against climate accountability efforts has reached a new level as the justice department seeks to shut down Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act. This law, passed in 2024, holds major polluters financially responsible for the damages caused by their carbon emissions, such as the floods that cost Vermont $1 billion in damage last year.
In a recent filing in a federal court in Burlington, the administration argued that Vermont’s policy is “unlawful on its face” and urged the court to declare it unconstitutional and unenforceable. The Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency had previously sued Vermont and New York over similar laws, leading to a legal battle over the states’ rights to protect their residents from the impacts of climate change.
Environmental advocates and organizations, such as the Conservation Law Foundation and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, have been vocal in their support of the Climate Superfund Act. They argue that the law is a necessary measure to hold Big Oil accountable for the damage they have caused to Vermont’s farms, businesses, homeowners, and communities.
Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle climate accountability measures, advocates remain resolute in their fight for financial accountability for global warming. The filing comes amidst a series of environmental rollbacks initiated by the administration, including attempts to reverse the 2009 “endangerment finding” that regulates planet-warming emissions under the Clean Air Act.
As the legal battle over Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act continues, the state and its supporters remain committed to defending the law and protecting the health, safety, and well-being of its residents from the devastating impacts of climate change. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for the future of climate accountability efforts in the United States. Legislators in more than a dozen states are gearing up to introduce or reintroduce climate superfund bills in 2026. These bills aim to hold oil and gas companies accountable for their contributions to climate change and ensure that they pay their fair share for the damages caused by their activities.
Recent polling data has shown that a majority of voters, including Republicans, support the idea of making these companies take responsibility for their impact on the environment. This widespread support for climate superfund laws highlights the urgency of taking action to address climate change and its effects on communities across the country.
The Trump administration and its allies in the oil industry are likely to push back against these bills, as they see them as a threat to their interests. However, proponents of climate superfund laws argue that they are essential for helping cities, states, and families mitigate the costs of extreme weather events and other climate-related disasters.
By holding oil and gas companies accountable for their role in climate change, these laws can help ensure that those responsible for environmental damage are held accountable and provide much-needed financial support to communities that are struggling to cope with the impacts of a changing climate.
As legislators prepare to introduce these bills in the coming year, it is clear that there is growing momentum for action on climate change at the state level. By passing climate superfund laws, states can take a proactive approach to addressing climate change and protecting their residents from its worst effects.
