The city of Baltimore filed a lawsuit on 20 July against 26 oil and gas companies and entities, including BP, Chevron, and ExxonMobil, for knowingly contributing to what the city called the catastrophic consequences of climate change.
It was the latest in a string of cases attempting to hold oil and gas companies responsible for climate change caused by carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. It came a day after a US District Court judge dismissed a similar suit by New York City, saying in his ruling that climate change must be addressed through federal regulation and foreign policy because climate change is a global problem.
Baltimore is vulnerable to any rise in sea level because it has 60 miles of coastline and one of the country’s largest ports, according to the complaint, which points to research linking oil and gas production with rising sea levels.
The lawsuit, filed in Baltimore Circuit Court, says Baltimore has been affected by sea level rise and climate change leading to “property damage, economic injuries, and impacts to public health.” It says the Baltimore area has suffered two 1,000-year storms within 3 years.
The lawsuit accuses oil and gas companies of knowing about a link between climate change and fossil fuel production for nearly 50 years, yet working to hide the dangers and protect their assets rather than minimize the damage.