Manufacturers are pushing back against a growing array of climate change and other lawsuits brought by environmentalists and state attorneys general, saying that the activists are blaming business for activities that could go back as long as a century.

The effort is the first by the National Association of Manufacturers, the large national trade group representing manufacturers, or any large industry trade group for that matter, said spokesman Michael Short. “No effort like this,” said Short. “We are the first group out there.”