California, AS —
The state of California filed a lawsuit against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels that are now responsible for climate change-related hurricanes and wildfires, causing billions of dollars in damage.
The civil suit, filed in state superior court in San Francisco, also demands the creation of a “fund” – financed by the companies – to pay for recovery efforts following devastating hurricanes and fires.
In a statement, Governor Gavin Newsom said the companies named in the lawsuit, namely Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP must be held accountable.
“For more than 50 years, Big Oil has lied to us, covering up the fact that they have long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet,” said Newsom.
“California taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for billions of dollars in damage, whether it’s wildfires that wipe out entire communities, toxic smoke that clogs our air, deadly heat waves, or record-breaking drought that dries up our wells,” he added.
Defendant: Climate Policy Should Be Debated in Congress, Not in Court
The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group also named in the lawsuit, said climate policy should be debated in Congress, not in courtrooms. American Petroleum Institute Vice President Ryan Meyers said in a written statement that “the ongoing and coordinated campaign to launch pointless lawsuits and politicization of America’s basic industry and its workers is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from an important national conversation and a waste of California taxpayers’ resources.”
Shell said the same thing, which said the courts were not the right place to tackle global warming. “Tackling climate change requires a collaborative approach involving all levels of society,” said the energy giant. “We agree that action is needed to tackle climate change, and fully support society’s need to transition to a lower carbon future.”
Several States and Cities Have Sued Giant Oil Companies
California’s legal action follows similar lawsuits filed by several states and cities in recent years.
Kathy Mulvey at the Union of Concerned Scientists via email said “this California state lawsuit adds to the growing momentum to hold Big Oil accountable for decades of fraud, and secure access to justice for suffering people and communities due to extreme weather triggered by fossil fuels and gradual disasters such as rising sea levels.”
Activists gather around Times Square as they mark the start of Climate Week in New York during a demonstration calling for the U.S. government to take action on climate change and reject the use of fossil fuels in New York City, Sept. 17, 2023.
The 135-page lawsuit says the companies have known since at least the 1960s that burning fossil fuels would warm the planet and change the climate, but they downplayed the looming threat in their public statements and marketing. It added that the companies’ scientists had known since the 1950s that climate impacts would be catastrophic, and there was little time for society and governments to respond.
However, according to the lawsuit, the companies instead waged a disinformation campaign – dating back to at least the 1970s – to discredit the growing scientific consensus on climate change, and debate the risks associated with climate change.
California Attorney General: Giant Oil Companies Have Lied
In a statement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the companies “have perpetrated lies and conveyed untruths to us to increase their enormous profits at the expense of our environment. Enough is enough.”
The allegations in the lawsuit blame the companies for creating, or contributing to, climate change in California, false advertising, destruction of natural resources, and unlawful business practices for deceiving the public about climate change.
Center for Climate Integrity President Richard Wiles said, “California’s decision to take big oil companies to court is a watershed moment in the rapidly developing legal fight to hold major polluters accountable for decades of climate lies. … Californians have been living through a climate emergency caused by the fossil fuel industry, and now the state is taking decisive action to make these polluters pay.”
California, Seventh Largest Oil Producer in the US
California, where the majority of residents are Democratic voters, is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement. The Newsom administration has pushed for expanded use of solar power and other clean energy to reduce emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.
For decades, California was one of the nation’s leading oil producers, and a pillar of the state’s economy. According to federal data, California is now America’s seventh-largest oil producer.
Oil drilling equipment is seen on federal land near Fellows, California
However, state regulators have banned the sale of most new gas-powered cars in California by 2035. Earlier this year, Newsom signed a new law that gives state regulators the authority to punish oil companies that make too much money. This is the first law in America to regulate this.
Newsom Did Not Escape Criticism from Environmental Activists
Although the state is considered a leader in addressing climate change, Newsom has not always aligned with environmental activist groups. There are tensions over upgrading the state’s aging water delivery system, disputes over new permits for oil and gas wells, and what to do about rivers that have overflowed due to powerful storms. Activists worry that diverting too much water will be a death sentence for salmon and other endangered fish species.
Newsom was once a vocal leader in favor of closing the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant – the state’s last – but changed course last year and instead helped pave the way for the plant’s operation, potentially pushing the planned shutdown past its 2025 target and drawing criticism sharp from leading environmental groups. (em/ka)