California has initiated a lawsuit against major oil companies, including Exxon Mobil Corp, Shell PLC, Chevron Corp, BP, and ConocoPhillips.
The lawsuit alleges that these energy giants downplayed the risks associated with fossil fuels, resulting in tens of billions of dollars in damage and deceiving the public.
The American Petroleum Institute, an industry trade group, is also named as a defendant. California is seeking the establishment of an abatement fund to cover future damages from climate-related disasters in the state.
This legal action is part of a broader trend of states and municipalities across the United States filing lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry, citing climate impacts and extreme weather.
The defendants have argued that climate change policies should be determined by the federal executive branch and Congress rather than through various court cases.
As of now, responses from the implicated companies and the American Petroleum Institute are pending. Exxon Mobil could not be immediately reached for comment.