A New Jersey judge has delivered a significant setback to the climate change movement by dismissing a lawsuit that blamed major oil companies for climate-related damages in the state. The lawsuit, filed in 2022 by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, targeted industry giants like ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, and Shell, along with the American Petroleum Institute.

Judge Douglas Hurd of the New Jersey Superior Court ruled that these companies, operating legally, could not be held responsible for global emissions. The dismissal, with prejudice, prevents the case from being refiled. Judge Hurd emphasized that the plaintiffs were attempting to regulate the national and international marketing of legal products essential to everyday life, from heating homes and powering hospitals to food production and manufacturing.

The Chevron logo displayed at a gas station in Los Angeles, California. (Mario Tama)

The judge's decision underscored the plaintiffs' inability to claim damages from nationwide emissions, stating that state law cannot govern claims related to interstate and international emissions and global warming. This falls under the purview of the federal constitutional system.

NJ AG Matthew Platkin, who initiated the lawsuit against major oil companies. (Getty Images)

Energy experts, in response to the dismissal, highlighted the importance of energy policy being determined by elected officials, not through litigation driven by activists. Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute and a former Texas representative, lauded the ruling as a triumph of common sense and legal principles, criticizing climate activists for using courts to advance their agenda.

An Exxon gas station in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Steve Milloy, a senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute, framed the climate debate as a political rather than legal matter, emphasizing the role of the ballot box, not the courtroom, in addressing such issues.

Fox News Digital contacted Platkin's office for a statement.