Press release from the Office of Vermont Attorney General

September 15, 2020

Attorney General Donovan’s Statement on the Governor’s Veto of the Global Warming Solutions Act:

“Climate change is real, and it is already affecting our state. The Global Warming Solutions Act, recently passed by the Vermont Legislature, tells government: When it comes to climate change, do your job. I testified in favor of this bill because it requires concrete climate action by certain deadlines. And it creates government accountability by allowing Vermonters to bring a citizen lawsuit if government fails to meet those requirements.

The bill is constitutional. Further, the provision creating an opportunity for citizens to bring a lawsuit has limited financial exposure because there is no penalty available to plaintiffs, only attorneys’ fees.

Let me be clear: As Attorney General, I find this bill to be a legally sound and measured approach to tackling one of the greatest crises of our time.

The Global Warming Solutions Act provides the public with tools to hold government accountable – and hold politicians accountable for their rhetoric and their promises. This is good policy and good governance.”