The state of California sued the world's largest oil companies

The American state of California filed a civil lawsuit against the world's 5 largest oil companies - Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhilips and Chevron - for causing the climate crisis in the San Francisco court.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit demanded that the five companies create a special fund and allocate funds to the state government to fight natural disasters related to climate change. The American Petroleum Institute, along with five major oil companies, was named as a defendant.

The state has accused the companies of misleading the public and downplaying the dangers of hydrocarbon fuels for years. In recent years, 7 US states and dozens of municipalities have filed similar lawsuits in various courts.

But experts say the case could create strong opposition to the oil and gas sector, as California is the most populous state in the United States and has an unparalleled track record of winning such cases.

Ryan Meyers, general counsel for the American Petroleum Institute, called the lawsuit "a coordinated campaign to file a baseless, politicized lawsuit against a major American industry and its workers." In his opinion, the state wants to distract attention from important national problems and huge expenditure of resources.

Last week, the UN Secretary General announced the beginning of the climate crisis. According to him, the summer of 2023 was the hottest season in the history of observations, and negative changes on the planet are happening faster than people can cope with their consequences.

Source: Kun.uz