Catching Up with Puerto Rico's Climate Lawsuits Before 2025 Hits
Half of Puerto Rico and its Department of Justice are suing fossil fuel industries. Here's what's been going on with those cases.
With a climate change denier president and a governor who supports the climate change denier president, the future of Puerto Rico’s multiple climate lawsuits against fossil fuel companies like Exxon, BP, and TotalEnergies is uncertain. "It's an earthquake," a law professor told POLITICO about President-elect Trump's effect on climate litigation. Jenniffer González Colón, Puerto Rico's governor-elect, has not publicly commented on the lawsuits and an article about her approach to climate policy has no mention of them. However, she did mention she would "balance economic development with environmental protection." (Unlikely given that Puerto Rico has historically favored construction over the environment).
Heading into 2025, I will make sure to keep an eye on how the climate lawsuits progress and periodically update Heavy Weather whenever there is an important development.
Here’s a little primer on these three cases and where they’re at:
