California Sues Oil Companies Over Alleged Deception
Sacramento, CA — Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta jointly announced that California is suing five of the largest oil companies in the world.
The lawsuit is aimed at Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, and BP and argues that they have all engaged in a “decades-long campaign of deception” to minimize climate-related impacts of the businesses.
Attorney General Bonta claims, “There is documentation of internal discussion among fossil fuel big oil leaders talking about the impact on global warming and climate from their industry, and as they acknowledged it internally and privately, they were telling the world something different.”
The 135-page lawsuit accuses the companies of false advertising, fraudulent business practices, damaging natural resources, and being a public nuisance, among other complaints.
The state requests a jury trial to rule on the allegations and that heavy fines be executed if the oil companies are found guilty.
