Supreme Court urged to block California laws requiring companies to disclose climate impacts
This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
WASHINGTON — The U.S.Chamber of Commerce and other business groups urged the Supreme Court on Friday to block new California laws that will require thousands of companies to disclose their emissions and their impacts on climate change.
One of the laws is due to take effect on Jan.1, and the emergency appeal asks the court to put it on hold temporarily.
Their lawyers argue the measures violate the 1st Amendment because the state would be forcing companies to speak on its preferred topic.“In less than eight weeks, California will compel thousands of companies across the nation to speak on the deeply controversial topic of climate change,” they said in an appeal that also spoke for the California Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles County Business Federation.
They say the two new laws would require companies to disclose the “climate-related risks” they foresee and how their operations and emissions contribute to climate change.“Both laws are part of California’s open campaign to force companies into the public debate on climate issues and pressure them to alter their behavior,” they said.
Their aim, according to their sponsors, is to “make sure that the public actually knows who’s green and who isn’t.” California Exxon Mobil has filed suit in federal court challenging two California laws that would require the oil giant to report the greenhouse emissions resulting from the use of its products globally.One law, Senate Bill 261, will require several thousand companies that do business in California to assess their “climate-related financial risk” and how they may reduce that risk.A second measure, SB 253, which applies to larger companies, requires them to assess and disclose their emissions and how their operations could affect the climate.
The appeal argues these laws amount to unconstitutional compelled speech.“No state may violate 1st Am...