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California Sues Big Oil Over Alleged Climate Change Disinformation. What You Should Know
California has filed suit against 5 oil companies over their role in perpetuating climate change.
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Justin Sullivan
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Getty Images
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California has filed a lawsuit against five big oil companies seeking both reimbursement for harm and financial penalties for the role the state alleges the companies played in perpetuating climate change.
The suit, filed Friday, is one in a growing wave of efforts by states and cities to recoup losses tied to disasters accelerated by climate change.
“Wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clogging our air, deadly heat waves, record-breaking droughts parching our wells," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "California taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot the bill. California is taking action to hold big polluters accountable."
“With our lawsuit, California becomes the largest geographic area and the largest economy to take these giant oil companies to court," said Attorney General Rob Bonta in a statement. "It is time they pay to abate the harm they have caused."
Targets of the lawsuit
A news release from Gov. Gavin Newsom's office included a slide showing the logos of the five oil companies named in the state's lawsuit.
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Courtesy Office of the California Governor
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Big Oil. Specifically: Exxon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP
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Plus, the trade group, The American Petroleum Institute.
The state's allegations, in a nutshell
That Big Oil and their industry trade group have all along known about the harm to the planet caused by fossil fuel, but have knowingly hid those facts to protect their profits, while sticking the bill for the billions of dollars in damages to the public.
Read the lawsuit
You can also read the lawsuit here.
What the state wants
California wants Big Oil to pay up — for the harms they've caused the environment and to safeguard against further damage in the future. Also, the state is asking the court to ban these companies from causing more pollution, among other things.
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These are the remedies as outlined in the state's news release:
- Order the oil companies to pay for the costs of their impacts to the environment, human health, and Californians’ livelihoods, and to help protect the state against the harms that climate change will cause in years to come;
- Prohibit oil companies from engaging in further pollution and destruction of California communities and natural resources;
- Levy financial penalties on Big Oil for lying to the public, and order the industry to immediately stop its ongoing efforts to deceive or misinform about their catastrophic impacts;
- Award punitive damages to the state to punish these companies for their misconduct.
What the lawsuit targets say
LAist.com has reached out to the defendants of the lawsuit.
In an emailed statement, Shell officials said:
"The Shell Group’s position on climate change has been a matter of public record for decades. We agree that action is needed now on climate change, and we fully support the need for society to transition to a lower-carbon future. As we supply vital energy the world needs today, we continue to reduce our emissions and help customers reduce theirs."
"Addressing climate change requires a collaborative, society-wide approach. We do not believe the courtroom is the right venue to address climate change, but that smart policy from government and action from all sectors is the appropriate way to reach solutions and drive progress."
Ryan Meyers, American Petroleum Institute Senior Vice President and General Counsel:
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“The record of the past two decades demonstrates that the industry has achieved its goal of providing affordable, reliable American energy to U.S. consumers while substantially reducing emissions and our environmental footprint. This ongoing, coordinated campaign to wage meritless, politicized lawsuits against a foundational American industry and its workers is nothing more than a distraction from important national conversations and an enormous waste of California taxpayer resources. Climate policy is for Congress to debate and decide, not the court system.”
A Chevron spokesperson sent this statement:
“Climate change is a global problem that requires a coordinated international policy response, not piecemeal litigation for the benefit of lawyers and politicians. California has long been a leading promoter of oil and gas development. Its local courts have no constructive or constitutionally permissible role in crafting global energy policy.”
We will add additional responses as they become available.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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