ExxonKnews
February 7, 2025
A New Jersey judge this week dismissed the state’s climate deception lawsuit against oil and gas companies, becoming the fourth judge in six months to side with Big Oil in such cases. As similar lawsuits creep closer toward trial, state and local governments are vowing to fight these latest rulings, which grapple with a central question still being deliberated among judges: what are these lawsuits about, and what are they trying to achieve?
The state and local officials filing lawsuits against oil and gas majors argue that they are seeking to hold the companies accountable under state laws for misleading the public about the dangers of fossil fuels — and in some cases, make them help pay for the resulting damage that alleged deception caused to communities, including from worsening climate disasters like wildfires, hurricanes, heatwaves, and floods.
