Environmental Law

Environmental Law Program

Environmental Law Program

The Environmental Law Program uses strategic legal campaigns to fight climate change, to protect clean air, water and wilderness, and to promote justice for communities threatened by pollution.


In the past year alone, we launched more than 200 legal actions to challenge the fossil fuel industry's destructive effects on our air, water, and climate.

About Our Program

Our team of top-notch attorneys and legal staff leverages all of the Club's tools of democracy, integrating legal advocacy with grassroots organizing, sophisticated communications, a state-of-the-art digital strategies team, and administrative lobbying.

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Support the Environmental Law Program

We pair litigation with effective community organizing and strong local communications to build genuine, informed support from community members and government officials.

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Sierra Club ELP in Lake Tahoe

Our Staff

We are a team of professional attorneys and staff who combine sophisticated legal tactics with a commitment to social and environmental justice at the grassroots level. We pair litigation with effective community organizing and strong local communications to build genuine, informed support from community members and government officials, making courtroom victories sustainable over the long term.

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May 26, 2021

VICTOR, Idaho— The Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund and Sierra Club today petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore federal protection under the…

May 17, 2021

HUNTINGTON, WV -- Today, the Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, filed a lawsuit against the U.S.

May 11, 2021

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) submitted notice of its intent to file an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the retirement of the Cumberland Fossil Plant in Cumberland City, Tennessee. Through the upcoming EIS process, TVA will identify…

May 7, 2021

CHARLESTON, WV -- Yesterday, the Sierra Club submitted expert testimony of Rachel Wilson of Synapse Energy Economics with the West Virginia Public Service Commission (WVPSC).

May 5, 2021

Port Arthur, TX -- Today, news broke that Sempra Energy will delay its Final Investment Decision (FID) on its proposed Port Arthur LNG export terminal for the second time due to “commercial challenges.” In 2020, Sempra targeted an FID fo

10M+

acres of wilderness protected

200+

lawsuits filed to resist Trump

1K+

miles of dirty fuel pipelines blocked

382

coal plants retired