News

West Coast Environment Law group’s Sue Big Oil campaign calls on BC local governments to join forces against fossil fuel giants in a future class-action suit to recover a share of climate-impact costs communities are paying. A growing list of communities have been signing on. Sue Big Oil aims to enlist communities with a combined population of 500,000, or roughly 10 per cent of B.C.’s population before the class-action suit would be brought forward. (Article in Nelson Star) Read More

City of Powell River councillors have elected not to participate in a class action suit against big oil. (Article in The Peak) Read More

On February 21, 2024, Kate McMahon from the Burnaby Sue Big Oil team and Fiona Koza from West Coast Environmental Law presented to the City of Burnaby’s Environment Committee. Read More

Chicago has joined the growing list of US cities and states suing fossil fuel companies for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate crisis. (Article in The Guardian) Read More

Port Moody will consider joining a class-action lawsuit against fossil fuel companies to make them accountable for their role in climate change. Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti suggested the city might be open to acting as the suit’s lead plaintiff. (Article in Tricity News) Read More

Inflation is threatening to derail the climate plans of one of the most ambitious municipalities in British Columbia, prompting fears cities across the province could be quietly following a similar path. In response, staff at the District of Saanich have become the first in Canada to propose an aggressive solution to close the fiscal gap and balance the district’s budget: sue the world’s largest oil and gas companies. (Article in Times Colonist) Read More

The Makah Indian Tribe and Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe are the latest to join dozens of communities across the United States that have sued oil companies to make them pay for their climate deception and destruction. (Article on Center for Climate Integrity website) Read More

On December 13, 2023, the Capital Regional District board voted to have their staff explore the feasibility, merits and role of the CRD joining the Sue Big Oil lawsuit. The SCRD – and Sunshine Coast supporters of the lawsuit – will be watching closely to see what they conclude. (Article in Comox Valley Record) Read More

Two of California’s biggest cities are one step closer to putting Big Oil companies on trial for their climate lies after a federal appeals court ruled this week that climate accountability lawsuits from San Francisco and Oakland can move forward in state court, where they were originally filed. (Article on ClimateIntegrity.org website) Read More

Proponents of the Sue Big Oil movement got a ‘wait and see’ message from Sunshine Coast Regional District directors on November 16. Directors requested that their staff reach out to counterparts in another regional district which is obtaining legal opinions on regional districts participation in the proposed class action lawsuit. (Article in Coast Reporter) Read More