New Westminster has joined 11 other municipalities across BC in committing to fund legal action against fossil fuel companies
Date: March 9, 2026
Complete Article: The Energy Mix
Excerpt:
A Feb. 23 council motion shifted $80,000 from New West’s climate action reserve to its operating budget to cover the legal action. The city posted on its Facebook page that New Westminster is “proud to join other B.C. municipalities in the Sue Big Oil campaign.”
“We’re committed to fighting climate change, protecting our community, and making sure major polluters pay their fair share of the costs facing local governments.”
A group of New Westminster Secondary School students first brought the request to city council in 2025.
Sue Big Oil points to New West’s increasing infrastructure costs arising from climate change, including $150 million in flood prevention, and the human costs: the 2021 heat dome resulted in 28 resident deaths, the highest rate per capita in the province.
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said the decision to join the Sue Big Oil campaign reflects the city’s determination that “those who profited from creating the climate disaster are held accountable for those costs, instead of those costs being downloaded on local residents and businesses already struggling in this fractured global economy.”
New Westminster’s participation brings the number of British Columbians represented in the proposed lawsuit to more than 470,000. This would mark Canada’s first such class action. Similar actions are widespread across the United States.