Puerto Rico is suing the oil and gas industry for at least $1 billion, joining the ranks of more than two dozen cities, counties and states that are seeking compensation for the effects of climate change.
Filed Monday in the Court of First Instance of San Juan, the lawsuit claims that despite knowing their products would pollute the island and cause temperatures to warm, Exxon Mobil, BP, Chevron and other companies marketed and promoted oil and gas using unfair and deceptive trade practices.
The lawsuit alleges that the companies failed to provide warnings about the environmental risks associated with burning fossil fuels.
“These companies have known internally for decades that greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuel products would have adverse impacts on the global climate and sea levels,” said Justice Secretary Domingo Emanuelli Hernández in announcing the lawsuit.
