In another win for communities fighting for climate accountability, a Minnesota judge last week ruled that the state’s lawsuit aiming to hold ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, and Koch Industries accountable for their decades of climate lies can continue toward trial, despite defendants’ efforts to get the case dismissed.
The state’s lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Keith Ellison in 2020, charges three major architects of climate denial with running a “campaign of deception” to mislead consumers about the science of climate change and failing to disclose their knowledge of the climate harms of their fossil fuel products.
The latest ruling aligns with rulings in similar cases in Honolulu, Boulder, Vermont, and Massachusetts, all of which are moving closer to trial despite the oil industry’s efforts to derail the cases.
Alyssa Johl, vice president and general counsel of the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement:
“This ruling is an important step forward in Minnesota’s efforts to hold ExxonMobil, Koch Industries, and the American Petroleum Institute accountable for their climate lies. The judge made clear that the state's lawsuit is about accountability for the companies’ deception and failure to warn Minnesotans about the harms of their products for decades, and not an attempt to regulate interstate emissions. Given that these companies’ lies and deception have fueled the climate crisis the state is facing today, the people of Minnesota deserve their day in court.”
Background on U.S. Climate Accountability Lawsuits Against Big Oil:
Eleven attorneys general — in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — and dozens of city, county, and tribal governments in California, Colorado, Hawai`i, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, and Puerto Rico, have filed lawsuits to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for deceiving the public about their products’ role in climate change. These cases collectively represent more than 1 in 4 people living in the United States. Last year the attorney general of Michigan announced plans to take fossil fuel companies to court.
This content originally appeared on Common Dreams and was authored by Newswire Editor.