The city of Chicago has become the latest entity to sue some of America’s largest oil and gas companies over allegations that those companies downplayed the effects of climate change, allowing the crisis to worsen with devastating consequences.
The lawsuit names BP, Chevron, ConcocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66, and Shell as defendants, as well as the American Petroleum Institute, a lobbying group that acts on behalf of the companies in Congress.
“There is no justice without accountability,” Johnson said in a statement. “From the unprecedented poor air quality that we experienced last summer, to the basement flooding that our residents on the West Side experienced, the consequences of this crisis are severe, as are the costs of surviving them. That is why we are seeking to hold these defendants accountable.”
The lawsuit accuses the companies of a variety of offenses, including violations of municipal codes surrounding consumer fraud. They also accuse the companies of public nuisance and negligence, among other offenses.
“These companies knowingly deceived Chicago consumers in their endless pursuit of profits,” Ald. Matt Martin said in a statement. “As a result of their conduct, Chicago is enduring extreme heat and precipitation, flooding, sewage flows into Lake Michigan, damage to city infrastructure and more.”
California filed a similar lawsuit in 2023, as have multiple other states and cities.
The company has pushed back on the Chicago lawsuit, calling it a ‘politicized’ action that threatens to waste taxpayer resources.
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“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 taxpayer resources,” general counsel Ryan Meyers told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Climate policy is for Congress to debate and decide – not the court system.”
The suit seeks relief in the form of compensatory and loss-of-use damages, along with penalties and other fines, according to city officials.
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