Chicago sues oil and gas companies for their role in contributing to climate change

Source: Chicago Tribune via Phys.org

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Chicago sues oil and gas companies for their role in contributing to climate change

by Caroline Kubzansky, Chicago Tribune

The city of Chicago is suing five oil and gas companies and a trade group that represents them over their role in contributing to climate change and its effects, arguing that the companies have misled the public about how the use of fossil fuels affects city residents' well-being.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court, accuses BP, Chevron, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and the American Petroleum Institute of mounting a "climate deception campaign" about burning fossil fuels to protect their profits.

Chicago is the latest in a slew of government bodies taking legal action against fossil fuel distributors over how climate change has affected cities and states. Cities in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina and Puerto Rico have taken similar actions since 2017, according to a release from the Center for Climate Integrity.

Chicago, represented by its own attorneys and lawyers from Chicago firm DiCello Levitt and San Francisco firm Sher Edling, is not seeking a specific sum from the defendants. However, it is demanding they reimburse the city on the costs incurred from climate change-related events such as infrastructure and property damage.

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