(New York, NY) Tomorrow, Friday, the 2nd Circuit Court hearing of the New York City vs Big Oil (Exxon, BP, Shell, Conoco and Chevron) lawsuit heads into the latest oral arguments.
On the upcoming hearing, Dominique Thomas, New Yorker and Northeast Regional Field Organizer with 350.org said,
“New Yorkers remember Superstorm Sandy, and its destruction continues to be paid for through our lives and livelihoods. Now, over seven years later, we need to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the climate crisis they’ve knowingly caused. Those who have done the least to cause the crisis are suffering most from its effects. It’s time to make polluters pay, and these damages lawsuits are a crucial tactic in making that happen.
“In the past year, the number of climate lawsuits against the likes of Exxon and Shell have jumped as more and more communities reckon with who exactly is most responsible for billions in climate damages. Frontline communities, taxpayers, and ordinary people across America shouldn’t have to foot the bill to rebuild our cities and neighborhoods. The fight to make Big Oil pay will only get louder from here.”
Last month, dozens of New Yorkers rallied outside the New York County Supreme Court on the first day of the People of New York versus ExxonMobil trial, where Attorney General Letitia James brought Exxon to court for misleading shareholders on climate related-risks. Judge Barry Ostranger is expected to issue a ruling on the State’s lawsuit within weeks of the trial’s closing arguments.
There are currently dozens of climate lawsuits against fossil fuel companies,for both damages and climate fraud in the United States, with recent developments in Baltimore, and Hawaii and Massachusetts most recently filing suits.
Photo: Rally outside the New York County Supreme Court on the first day of the People of New York v. ExxonMobil trial, carrying a 100-foot long banner reading “Climate Crisis // #ExxonKnew // Make Them Pay.”
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Press Contact: Thanu Yakupitiyage, [email protected], 413-687-5160