N.J. files lawsuit against 5 oil and gas companies for their role in climate change

Exxon gas station
(Image credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

New Jersey officials announced a lawsuit on Tuesday against Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Co., Chevron Corp., BP, ConocoPhillips, and the American Petroleum Institute trade group, alleging the companies misinformed the public about the link between fossil fuels and climate change, CBS News reports. The suit was filed in the Superior Court in Mercer County.

The state claims these oil and gas companies acted deceptively so as to continue fossil fuel extraction and burning, thus worsening climate change and costing New Jersey billions of dollars in clean-up due to storms like Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Ida, Reuters reports. Evidence has shown that storms like hurricanes are getting worse due to climate change.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.