California Climate Reporting Suit Foreshadows SEC Legal Battle

The SEC has seen the clearest preview yet of the looming court fight over its pending climate disclosure plans: a lawsuit from business advocates and farmers seeking to kill California’s emissions reporting law.

The US Chamber of Commerce, American Farm Bureau Federation and other business and agricultural groups on Tuesday sued to stop California’s first-in-the-nation law directing companies operating in the state to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions. The statute compels speech from businesses in violation of the First Amendment and conflicts with other federal laws on interstate commerce, the groups said in their complaint.

The Chamber and American ...