A South Carolina judge has not made a ruling yet in the two-day hearing involving the city of Charleston’s lawsuit against 24 oil and gas companies. The companies want the case dismissed.
What the Lawsuit Says
Charleston is seeking money damages, claiming the oil companies knew their products contributed to climate change but did not tell the public. The city argues the companies hid this information to keep making profits.
City Attorney’s Argument
Charleston’s lawyer, Matt Edling, said people use energy to get from place to place without caring much about the source. He claimed the oil companies created a market where fossil fuels were the only real option, even though they knew the damage it could cause.
He said, “You knew all of this and made great efforts to convince the world it wasn’t a problem, benefiting economically while cities like Charleston suffered.”
Oil Companies’ Defense
The oil companies argued that Charleston still uses fossil fuels and that affordable alternatives are limited. They also pointed out their investments in renewable energy. For example, BP adopted the slogan “Beyond Petroleum” and used green in its branding to show a shift toward sustainability.
BP’s attorney, Merritt Abney, said the city’s claim that BP’s efforts to appear green were meant to trick customers into buying fossil fuels “makes no sense.”
Next Steps
Judge Roger Young asked lawyers to submit draft orders by July 1 but gave no ruling yet. He said the oral arguments were very helpful in understanding the case.
Similar Cases
A similar climate change lawsuit in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was dismissed earlier this month.
