Big Oil in Court: The Latest Trends in Climate Litigation Against Fossil Fuel Companies

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the growing trend of climate litigation against major fossil fuel companies. It focuses on the legal challenges faced by the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal corporations, including BP, Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies. Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, the number of lawsuits filed against these companies has tripled, reflecting increasing scrutiny of their roles in contributing to climate change. The report categorizes climate lawsuits into three main types: compensation for climate damages (38% of cases), misleading advertising (16% of cases), and emissions reduction (12% of cases). It highlights significant legal wins, such as a Dutch court ruling that requires Shell to reduce its emissions by 45% by 2030. These lawsuits are driven by both public and private actors seeking accountability for environmental damages, such as extreme weather events, caused by fossil fuel emissions. The study also discusses the use of attribution science, which has enabled plaintiffs to directly link specific extreme weather events to fossil fuel emissions. The potential financial liabilities for these companies are substantial, with estimates suggesting that the top 25 oil and gas companies could be responsible for $20 trillion in climate damages. The report concludes that the rise of climate litigation will continue as public authorities, environmental groups, and affected communities increasingly turn to legal mechanisms to demand accountability from fossil fuel companies for their contributions to the climate crisis.