November 29, 2022

Source: Reuters

Excerpt:

Puerto Rican municipalities have filed a lawsuit in federal court saying ExxonMobil Corp, Shell Plc, Chevron Corp and others colluded to publicly downplay the risks of their fossil-fuel products on climate change and are financially responsible for damages from the devastating 2017 hurricane season, which was made worse by global warming.

The group of 16 municipalities filed what they called a first-of-its-kind lawsuit last week against about a dozen fossil fuel companies and others. The towns say the companies coordinated a multibillion-dollar “fraudulent marketing scheme” to convince consumers that fossil fuel products do not alter the climate. That campaign ran contrary to the companies’ own studies showing their products accelerate climate change, resulting in more deadly storms, the lawsuit said.

Read more: Puerto Rican towns sue Big Oil under RICO alleging collusion on climate denial