April 22 (Reuters) - New York City is suing three major oil
companies and the top industry trade group in state court after
a federal appeals court this month rejected its effort to hold
the companies liable to help pay the costs of harm caused by
global warming.
The lawsuit filed on Thursday said Exxon Mobil Corp,
BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell and industry group the
American Petroleum Institute "have systematically and
intentionally misled consumers" about "the central role their
products play in causing the climate crisis."
The companies have misrepresented the fuels sold at their
branded stations as "cleaner" and "emissions-reducing," the
lawsuit says.
Earlier this month, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
Manhattan ruled in a separate lawsuit in favor of BP, Chevron
Corp, ConocoPhillips, Exxon and Shell, and said
the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions should be addressed
under federal law and international treaties.
That court rejected the city's efforts to sue under state
nuisance law for damages caused by the companies' "admittedly
legal" production and sale of fossil fuels, and said the city's
federal common law claims were displaced by the federal Clean
Air Act.
The lawsuit, filed in 2018, was an early effort among U.S.
states and municipalities to turn to the courts and use state
law to address climate change.
(Reporting by Jennifer Hiller
Editing by Marguerita Choy)
