Press Releases
May 1, 2025
HAWAI`I — The State of Hawai`i filed a major lawsuit against Big Oil companies today, joining a growing nationwide wave of state and local governments seeking to put companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, and Shell on trial for deceiving the public about the harms of fossil fuels and make them pay for the resulting costs.
Hawai`i is now the tenth U.S. state, and Hawai`i Attorney General Anne Lopez is the 12th attorney general (including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), to take Big Oil companies to court for their climate deception. The City and County of Honolulu and the County of Maui separately filed their own climate deception lawsuits against Big Oil companies in 2020. Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court denied fossil fuel industry requests to review Honolulu’s case, keeping it on track toward discovery and trial.
In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that the oil industry is lobbying Congress for legal protections against the cases. Nearly 200 advocacy groups — including the Center for Climate Integrity — have urged leaders in Congress to oppose those efforts.
Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement:
“Communities across Hawai`i have paid dearly for Big Oil’s decades-long climate deception, and now it’s time for accountability. With Hawai`i’s filing, the growing wave of lawsuits seeking to make Big Oil companies pay for their climate lies is more powerful than ever. One out of every five U.S. states are now fighting to put Big Oil companies on trial for their climate deception, and they deserve their day in court. It’s more vital than ever for members of Congress to protect access to the courts and reject the fossil fuel industry’s attempts to escape justice.”
Background on U.S. Climate Accountability Lawsuits Against Big Oil:
Twelve attorneys general — in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai`i, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — and dozens of city, county, and tribal governments in California, Colorado, Hawai`i, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Washington, and Puerto Rico, have filed lawsuits to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for deceiving the public about their products’ role in climate change. These cases collectively represent more than 1 in 4 people living in the United States. Last year, the attorney general of Michigan announced plans to take fossil fuel companies to court.