Key facts
- Lobbyists representing fossil fuel companies are also working for over 300 local governments seeking climate recovery funds.
- The analysis reviewed congressional lobbying disclosures for the first quarter of 2026.
- Firms like Greenberg Traurig represent both fossil fuel entities opposing climate accountability legislation and local governments seeking climate mitigation funds.
- New York and Vermont have passed climate superfund legislation, with 13 other states considering similar laws.
- Legislation to dismiss climate accountability lawsuits and prohibit climate superfund laws, the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act, has been introduced in Congress.
Congressional lobbyists representing fossil fuel companies are simultaneously working for over 300 local governments that are seeking funding to recover from climate damage, according to a new analysis by F Minus and Make Polluters Pay. The research reviewed lobbying disclosures for the first quarter of 2026 and found that many firms represent both entities that push for continued fossil fuel dependence and local governments advocating for climate action.
James Browning, founder and executive director of F Minus, stated that local governments hiring these firms for climate mitigation, disaster relief, and conservation may not be aware that the same firms also represent clients like ExxonMobil and the American Petroleum Institute, which are accused of blocking climate efforts. This creates a significant conflict of interest, as highlighted by the case of law firm Greenberg Traurig.
Greenberg Traurig has lobbied for fossil fuel entities such as API and ConocoPhillips, opposing state legislation that would hold companies financially accountable for climate-warming emissions. Concurrently, the firm has been hired by Miami-Dade county in Florida to lobby for shoreline protection and Everglades restoration. Westchester county and the city of Rochester in New York have also retained Greenberg Traurig, despite the risk of losing mitigation funds if the firm's fossil fuel clients successfully challenge climate superfund legislation.
New York and Vermont passed climate superfund legislation in 2024, and another 13 states considered similar laws this year. Cassidy DiPaola of Make Polluters Pay noted that despite initial positive conversations with lawmakers, many states saw significant opposition from industry lobbyists, leading to bills being voted down. A Brown University report further indicated that opponents of these bills, including fossil fuel companies, frequently used debunked claims to argue against them, such as the assertion that fees on oil companies would raise global oil prices.
In April, Representative Harriet Hageman and Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act in the US House and Senate, aiming to dismiss climate accountability lawsuits and prohibit climate superfund laws. Organizations including API, American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, and Koch Companies have disclosed lobbying efforts related to this act.