Recommendation Follows May Letter from 60 House Reps Urging Leadership to Oppose Immunity for Fossil Fuel Industry in COVID-19 Relief
WASHINGTON, D.C. - A newly released series of climate policy recommendations from the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis embraces a key accountability principle: that Congress must not grant legal immunity to polluters in exchange for a price on carbon.
In a section about carbon pricing, the report from the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis states on page 287 that “Congress should not offer liability relief … in exchange for a carbon price.”
In May, 60 House members led by Rep. Jamie Raskin (Maryland), sent a letter to House leadership urging opposition to legal immunity for the fossil fuel industry during COVID-19 relief negotiations.
“There is a growing drumbeat in Congress to protect access to the courts for the communities seeking justice against the companies that created and lied about the climate crisis,” said Richard Wiles, executive director of the Center for Climate Integrity. “Today’s select committee report is the latest example of House members taking a strong stance against liability relief for polluters, ensuring that communities who have suffered because of the fossil fuel industry’s climate deception and destruction are able to have their rightful day in court. Just like Big Tobacco and Big Pharma, it’s only right that Big Oil is held accountable for the harm it knew its products caused to the public.”
The full report is available here.