Green 20 State AG Coalition (2016)

Group of 17 state AGs and Former Vice President Al Gore announced a coalition of states committed to taking creative steps to combat climate change, including investigations into fossil fuel companies and climate-related disclosures.

Topic: Climate Change Mitigation

Type of action: Other Intervention

States involved: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Summary: In 2016, a large contingent of State Attorneys General and Former Vice President Al Gore announced a coalition aimed at combatting climate change. The group largely focused their announcement on investigating fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil. Spurred by investigative reporting indicating that ExxonMobil and other oil companies were aware of the dangers of climate change as early as the 1980s, multiple State AGs have launched investigations into ExxonMobil’s business. California is reportedly one of the states engaged in such investigations, along with New York and Massachusetts, though former Attorney General Kamala Harris had declined to comment publicly on the investigation. Still in its infancy, it is still unclear what effect this coalition will have on state policies. The commitment to think creatively about combatting climate change is promising nonetheless.

Key documents:

• Congressional Response Letter to California AG