尽管有些人可能将液化天然气视为能源转型中的“桥梁燃料”，但即使拜登政府已停止出口许可，气候活动人士仍对该行业发起了与 ESG 相关的诉讼。

业内专家表示，从漂绿主张到项目许可纠纷，美国液化天然气行业正面临不断变化的法律环境，这可能会扰乱其运营和出口能力。

诺顿罗氏富布赖特律师事务所合伙人 Holly Stebbing 9 月份在休斯顿国际天然气展览会上表示：“ESG 诉讼是一种相对较新且增长迅速的诉讼类型，在涉及 ESG 问题（尤其是气候变化问题）时，诉讼索赔被用作改变国家和企业行为的一种方式。”

While LNG may be viewed as a "bridge fuel" in the energy transition by some, climate activists have deluged the industry with ESG-related litigation even as the Biden administration has brought export permitting to a halt.

From greenwashing claims to project permitting disputes, the U.S. LNG sector is facing an evolving legal landscape that threatens to disrupt operations and export capacity, industry experts said.

"ESG litigation is a relatively new and rapidly growing class of litigation where claims are being used as a [way] to change state and corporate behaviors when it comes to ESG issues, and most notably related to climate change," said Holly Stebbing, partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, at Gastech Houston in September.