States Push for Action on Environmental Law Institute
Lee Zeldin, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, seems to be intent on dismantling previous climate policies from the Trump era. Recently, nearly half of the state attorneys general have urged him to take action against the Environmental Law Institute, particularly its Climate Justice Project.
This initiative began with Montana Attorney General Austink Nusen and garnered support from 22 other AGs. In a letter, they called for a reduction in funding for the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) due to its reliance on federal grants. The Climate Justice Project operates under ELI and has raised concerns among those opposed to its agenda.
The letter criticizes ELI for using climate awareness to influence judges and promote their agenda, despite claiming to provide “neutral” education.
The correspondence highlights that ELI secured about 13% of its revenue in 2023 and projected a similar share for 2024 from federal funding. This reliance on grants appears to be an area of concern, as it could impact future funding.
“As Attorney General, I won’t sit idly by while taxpayers fund what many see as radical environmental training for judges,” said one of the AGs. They argue that the Climate Justice Project aims to manipulate judicial decisions under the guise of impartial education.
Essentially, the Climate Justice Project claims to be a pioneering effort, established in 2018, to provide credible education on climate science to judges. There are accusations that ELI is engaged in political lobbying, which further complicates its position.
Jason Isaac, from the American Energy Institute, commented that this move raised various legal and ethical issues, suggesting that it’s part of a broader attempt by certain groups to reshape society through litigation, especially in coastal regions.
The letter’s signatories include AGs from states like Alabama, Florida, and North Dakota, among others. They are asking Zeldin to terminate existing grants to ELI and block any future grants linked to the Climate Justice Project.
