Annapolis Sues Big Oil for Climate Fraud and Damages

ANNAPOLIS, MD - The City of Annapolis last night filed a lawsuit seeking to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for lying to the public about their products’ role in climate change and to recover costs associated with sea-level rise, flooding, and other local climate damages that the companies knew their products would cause. 

Annapolis joins 24 other states and localities, including the City of Baltimore, that have turned to the courts to hold companies like Exxon, Chevron, Shell, and BP accountable for ongoing efforts to lie to the public about their role in causing climate change. It is also the fourth community — after Minnesota, Delaware, and Hoboken, New Jersey — to name the American Petroleum Institute as a defendant. 

Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, released the following statement: 

“Big Oil knew their products would cause catastrophic climate damages decades ago. Instead of doing the right thing, they continued to lie about it while communities like Annapolis are paying the price. The city’s leaders should be applauded for working to ensure that their residents aren’t stuck with the bill to protect themselves from a problem that Big Oil knowingly caused."

Richard Wiles, executive director of the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement: 

“With this lawsuit, Annapolis joins a growing number of communities across the United States that are turning to the courts to demand that Big Oil companies be held accountable for lying about their leading role in causing climate change. Just like Big Tobacco — another industry that lied to the public to protect their profits — Big Oil should pay for the damage they knew their products would cause.”