As climate awareness continues to grow, all eyes are on Big Oil. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected petitions from oil companies to move lawsuits from state courts to federal courts, which are considered more pro-business.
According to Grist, about 30 lawsuits have been filed against Big Oil in the United States, a trend that started six years ago in California when the state tried to make oil giants pay for misleading the public about the dangers of burning polluting fuels.
Most of the cases have been postponed as oil companies tried to keep them out of federal courts. However, the Supreme Court has denied their request in three different cases, including one in Minnesota, meaning oil executives will soon have to face a jury.
“It is the industry’s worst nightmare to explain their lies to a jury,” Richard Wiles, president of the environmental group The Center for Climate Integrity, told Grist.
And now that cases can move forward, there is even more damning evidence that could be presented to a jury based on investigators’ findings. Last year, for example, a study by researchers at Harvard University and the University of Potsdam found that Exxon’s own scientists predicted the warming climate with as much accuracy as independent scientists did nearly four decades ago.
Grist also reported that hundreds of documents obtained by congressional investigators showed that oil companies were trying to backtrack on their commitments to reduce pollution. Meanwhile, a leaked email from a Shell employee revealed the company had no intention of meeting net-zero targets, despite publicly agreeing to the plan.
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The outlet said more evidence could also emerge during the pre-trial discovery process. A case filed in 2019 in Massachusetts against Exxon Mobil is already at this stage and expected to go to trial as early as 2025, as Alyssa Johl, vice president of the CCI’s legal program, tells Grist.
If oil giants are forced to pay for the damage they have caused to the planet and communities, it will send the message that companies can no longer go against the public interest. As climate science continues to develop, it is clear that pollution-free clean energy is the future, creating a healthier, safer world for all.
“Last year was a really pivotal year in terms of overcoming a lot of pressure from the industry and their delay tactics,” Johl told Grist. “That issue and that effort have been put to rest, and now they have to face the music.”
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