The US state of California has sued five of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, accusing them of Engage in ‘decades-long deception campaign’ over climate change and highlighting that state authorities have been forced to spend tens of billions of dollars to address the risks and damage caused by fossil fuels to the environment.

The State Attorney General, Rob Bonta, filed the lawsuit this Friday before the San Francisco Superior Court alleging that Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP and the American Petroleum Institute They have known since at least the 1950s that burning fossil fuels would warm the planet and, rather than warning the public about the dangers of this activity to the environment, they have chosen to downplay or outright deny its effects.

“Oil and gas companies have known the truth for decades: that the burning of fossil fuels causes climate change,” Bonta denounced in a statement, “but They have fed us lies and falsehoods to increase its unprecedented benefits at the expense of our environment. “Enough is enough,” he declared.

“With our lawsuit, California becomes the largest geographic area and the largest economy to take these oil giants to court,” the prosecutor stressed, adding that “from extreme heat to drought and water shortages, the climate crisis they have caused is undeniableBonta has stated that the goal of this lawsuit is ultimately the elimination of the nuisance by creating a fund to finance climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.