California Files Lawsuit Against Oil Companies for Allegedly Minimizing Fossil Fuels Risks

## California Sues Oil and Gas Companies Over Climate Deception

California has initiated legal proceedings against some of the globe’s biggest oil and gas entities, alleging they misled the public and understated the risks associated with fossil fuels. The lawsuit was filed in the state Superior Court in San Francisco and calls for a fund financed by the named companies to cover costs related to recovery efforts following catastrophic storms and fires.

The companies implicated in the lawsuit include Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and BP. California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed the necessity of holding these companies responsible. He stated, “For over 50 years, Big Oil has been deceiving us, concealing the fact that they’ve long been aware of the danger their fossil fuels pose to our planet.”

## Oil Firms Accused of Downplaying Climate Change Risks

The lengthy 135-page complaint suggests that these companies have been aware since as early as the 1960s that fossil fuel combustion would lead to global warming and climate changes. However, the lawsuit argues that these businesses knowingly understated this impending threat in their public statements and marketing efforts.

According to the lawsuit, scientists working for these companies understood the potentially catastrophic climate impacts as far back as the 1950s, and they recognized that there was a limited timeframe for communities and governments to take action. Instead, the companies are accused of launching a misinformation campaign as early as the 1970s to challenge the growing scientific consensus on climate change and to deny its associated risks.

## Industry Response to the Lawsuit

The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group also named in the lawsuit, argued that climate policy should be discussed in Congress rather than the courtroom. Ryan Meyers, the institute’s senior vice-president, called the lawsuit a needless distraction and a waste of California taxpayer resources.

Echoing this sentiment, Shell stated that the courtroom is not the appropriate setting for addressing global warming issues. The energy company emphasized the need for a collective societal approach to tackle climate change and pledged its support for transitioning to a lower-carbon future.

## Growing Momentum Against Big Oil

This legal action by California adds to a series of similar lawsuits filed by other states and municipalities in recent years. Advocates for climate action, such as Kathy Mulvey from the Union of Concerned Scientists, see this as an opportunity to hold Big Oil accountable for decades of deception and to seek justice for communities affected by extreme weather and slow onset disasters caused by fossil fuels.

California state attorney general Rob Bonta underscored this point, stating that these companies have been perpetuating lies and mistruths to boost their profits at the expense of our environment. The lawsuit alleges the companies are responsible for creating or contributing to climate change in California, false advertising, damage to natural resources, and unlawful business practices related to public deception about climate change.

Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, hailed the legal action as a landmark moment in the expanding legal fight to hold major polluters accountable for their role in climate change. He added that the state is now taking decisive action to make these polluters pay for the climate emergency they have caused.

Original Story at www.theguardian.com – 2023-09-17 00:20:00