The lawsuit states greenhouse gas emissions cause sea level rise which leads to coastal flooding, beach erosion and the need to rebuild wastewater and stormwater systems. It also alleges the companies knew there would be climate-related impacts and the firms willfully ignored that.
The legal action seeks relief from the energy companies for damage caused by ongoing and future flooding.The lawsuit remains active despite several attempts by the oil industry to have the legal challenge dismissed or moved out of state court. The state lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court identifies Exxon Mobile, Shell, Chevron, BP, and ConocoPhillips as plaintiffs who allegedly misled the public for decades about climate change and the role fossil fuels play.