New York City Sues Exxon, Shell, BP For False Advertising On Pollution
New York city filed suit on Thursday against major oil corporations Exxon, Shell and BP for misleading consumers about the role their products play in climate change.
The lawsuit alleges the companies were "systematically and intentionally deceiving New Yorkers" about the "disastrous impacts" of fossil fuels.
The city seeks to stop the companies and the American Petroleum Institute from this "greenwashing" and to seek financial penalties.
"Our children deserve to live in a world free from climate change, and we must do everything in our power to give them hope," said Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.
"That means taking on some of the biggest polluting corporations for false advertising and greenwashing, in direct violation of our Consumer Protection Laws. My Earth Day message to Big Oil: See you in court."
The lawsuit filed in the state Supreme Court comes as President Joe Biden hosted a climate summit with 40 world leaders to jump start efforts to reduce polluting emissions globally.
New York's Corporation Counsel James E. Johnson said consumer are entitled to accurate information on fossil fuels.
But the oil companies "have spent millions to persuade consumers that they present a clean, green choice. But they don't. They say they are making meaningful investments to protect the environment. But they aren't," he said.
The latest legal battle comes after a federal court earlier this month ruled against the city in a separate suit, saying greenhouse gas emissions should be handled by federal law.
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