Starting tomorrow, it’s the Make Polluters PayWeek of Action—a nationwide effort to build momentum in the fight to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.

And it’s a fight that matters more than ever.

Climate-fueled weather events are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity worldwide, devastating communities and pushing climate costs to an all-time high. It’s a reality that’s completely at odds with the actions of our federal government—repealing powerful, broadly-supported clean energy policy, making it easier for fossil fuel companies to freely pollute, and gutting the very agencies that step in to help when disaster strikes.

That’s why the true fight for progress in President Trump’s second term has been at the state level and in the courts—and the movement to make polluters pay is no exception.

In 2024, Vermont and New York became the first states in the country to pass climate superfund laws. These powerful measures require major polluters to pay into a fund based on their emissions—billions of dollars that states can then use to support infrastructure improvement projects and other climate adaptation measures.

There have already been several legal challenges to both bills, and staunch industry opposition to similar bills introduced in other states. But that hasn’t stopped superfund legislation from gaining traction nationwide.

And it hasn’t stopped public support from growing.

According to a recent national poll, 77% of registered voters, including most Republicans and Independents, support superfund legislation. And why wouldn’t they? These laws address funding shortfalls at the state and local levels, help mitigate future harm, and, most importantly, save taxpayers money by shifting the cost of adaptation from consumers to corporations.

Which brings us to the other place where the polluters pay movement is making progress: the courts.

In the last eight years, 11 states and over 30 municipalities have filed lawsuits against oil and gas companies for climate damages and public deception. It’s a shift made possible by rapid progress in attribution science and in-depth research into just how much the world’s largest fossil fuel companies have contributed to the climate crisis. Both are instrumental in building a case for climate liability.

So if you take anything away from this week of action, let it be this: the fight to hold polluters accountable is a fight we can win.

We finally have tangible ways to make fossil fuel companies pay for the havoc they have knowingly wrought on our climate—and with greater momentum, awareness, and support around these strategies, it won’t be long before we succeed.

Join us as we fight for a future where polluters pay their fair share!