President Donald Trump has issued an order that takes aim at state and local climate change laws and policies, including California's landmark program for reducing greenhouse gases.

Trump's executive order directs US Attorney General Pam Bondi to identify state and local acts that may be unconstitutional or preempted by federal law.

Trump's order singles out California's Cap-and-Trade Program.

The program sets limits on greenhouse gas emission and allows companies to buy and sell credits.

The order comes as the Trump administration moves to boost domestic oil and gas production whilst sidelining efforts to develop wind and solar.

Some legal experts call the order an overreach, disputing the president's claims that states are exceeding their authority or that their climate programs are unconstitutional.

The first Trump administration sued the state of California, challenging its cap and trade program, which is linked to a program in Canada, on the grounds that the state was entering into an international treaty.

Trump lost that lawsuit with a judge ruling that the administration failed to provide any evidence that cap-and-trade undermines the federal government's ability to conduct foreign policy.

In addition, the order targets civil actions against fossil fuel companies.

California is leading efforts to make fossil fuel giants pay billions of dollars for the climate damage they have long denied.

A bill introduced by Senator Caroline Menjivar, a democrat from Van Nuys, would require companies to pay for the damage that greenhouse gas emissions have caused in California since 1990.

Trump said these programs extort money from oil companies.

The oil industry has been pushing the Trump administration to take a more aggressive legal stance against the state climate accountability efforts.

The American Petroleum Institute, which represents oil and gas companies, applauded the new order, saying it seeks to hold states like New York and California accountable for pursuing unconstitutional efforts that illegally penalize US oil and natural gas producers for delivering the energy American consumers rely on every day.

For CalMatters, I'm Alejandro Lazo.