Big Oil in Court: The latest trends in climate litigation against fossil fuel companies
The first in-depth analysis on the escalating wave of climate litigation aimed at fossil fuel companies reveals 86 climate lawsuits have been filed against the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal producing corporations – including BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies. The number of cases filed against fossil fuel companies each year has nearly tripled since the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015, highlighting a growing global movement to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in the climate crisis.
Big Oil in Court: The latest trends in climate litigation against fossil fuel companies
The report is the first in-depth analysis of the escalating wave of climate litigation aimed at fossil fuel giants. It reveals the intensifying legal pressure on fossil fuel corporations responsible for 69% of human-caused carbon dioxide emissions, the main driver of the climate crisis.
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Key Findings
- 86 climate lawsuits have been filed against the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal producing corporations – including BP, Chevron, Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies – with two in five cases involving claims for compensation for climate change damages linked to fossil fuels. The number of cases filed against fossil fuel companies each year has nearly tripled since the Paris Agreement was reached in 2015.
- Three categories of lawsuits have grown significantly in recent years: compensation for climate damages (38 percent of cases); misleading advertising claims (16 percent); and emissions reduction (12 percent).
- Compensation for climate damages: Oil and gas companies and their investors are facing increasing financial risks from climate litigation over their role in contributing to the climate crisis. The financial benefits to communities around the world harmed by the impacts of climate change could be significant if additional cases are won.
- Misleading advertising: Oil and gas companies are coming under increasing pressure for making false climate and environment related claims. All but one of the nine concluded cases that accused companies of misleading advertising have resulted in decisions against the companies or the companies retracting the claims in question.
- Emissions reduction: Ten cases have now been brought against fossil fuel companies over their failure to set and implement Paris-aligned emissions reductions. Most notably, a Dutch court ruled that Shell must reduce emissions – including from the oil and gas it sells – by 45 percent by 2030, though Shell has appealed that decision
