California Sues Exxon, Shell, BP on Deception Claims, NYT Says

California has sued some of the world’s biggest oil companies, claiming that they have misled the public, the New York Times reported Friday, citing a court filing.

(Bloomberg) — California has sued some of the world’s biggest oil companies, claiming that they have misled the public, the New York Times reported Friday, citing a court filing. 

The civil case, filed in the superior court in San Francisco, targets Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Plc, BP Plc, ConocoPhillips and Chevron Corp. The state claimed the actions of these companies have resulted in tens of billions of dollars in damage and that they deceived the public by downplaying fossil fuel risks, according to the report.

California is also seeking the creation of an abatement fund to pay for future damages caused by climate-related disasters in the state, the report said.

The companies involved and the American Petroleum Institute, which is also listed as a defendant in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to the New York Times’ requests for comment. 

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