QS wants to make oil companies pay for the climate crisis

Photo: Jacques Nadeau Archives Le Devoir QS argues that Shell, Suncor, Valero and Exxon misled the public by downplaying the climate risks posed by fossil fuels.

Stéphane Blais – The Canadian Press

Published at 12:41

• Québec

Québec solidaire (QS) is calling on the Quebec government to sue major oil companies for damages caused by climate change.

The consequences of climate change in Quebec “are being felt more and more strongly” and “it is not up to Quebecers to pay for these consequences,” declared the future co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Ruba Ghazal, in front of the Montreal courthouse on Wednesday morning.

QS argues that Shell, Suncor, Valero and Exxon, which sell oil in Quebec, have misled the public by downplaying the climate risks posed by fossil fuels and, as a result, they must pay for the damage.

“Oil companies alone are responsible for a third, if not half, of global GHGs. They must pay for the damage they have caused, it is a question of justice,” added the MNA during a press briefing.

“All political parties say they want to protect Quebec from climate change, but none have the courage to do what is necessary: ​​make those responsible for the climate crisis pay,” added Alejandra Zaga Mendez, Solidarity’s environmental officer.

Lies and disinformation

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Dozens of U.S. municipalities, eight states and Washington, D.C., have sued oil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to data from the Center for Climate Integrity.

Those cases are still working their way through the courts, including a lawsuit filed by California a year ago against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they misled the public about the risks of fossil fuels.

A study in the journal Science published in 2023 shows that Exxon Mobil, which owns the Esso brand, long hid from the public its knowledge of the causal link between oil production and the climate crisis.

For decades, the oil giant has publicly questioned the reality of global warming and denied the accuracy of scientists' climate models. However, various investigations, including the one published in Science, show that Exxon had, as early as the 1980s, internal scientific work that allowed it to accurately predict climate change.

“Exxon is known internationally, they had hidden information since the 70s”, but “we want the government to pursue the various companies, not only for hiding information”, but for “the misdeeds, that is to say the impacts of climate change”, which is what “California, Massachusetts and Rhode Island” are doing, explained Congresswoman Zaga Mendez.

The example of tobacco

Québec solidaire is calling on the Quebec government to take inspiration from the cigarette manufacturers’ recent court defeat to bring the oil companies into line.

After 25 years of fighting tooth and nail in court, Canada’s tobacco giants will finally have to pay $32.5 billion to Canadian victims of smoking and the provinces for the health costs caused by their products, an Ontario judge ruled last month.

“Like the oil companies, the tobacco industry knew that cigarettes were harmful to health, but hid it from the population. Result: tobacco companies will have to pay $6 billion to Quebec. What are we waiting for to do the same thing with major polluters ?” concluded Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, responsible for justice.

Read also

• 80 organizations call on Canadian leaders to crack down on oil companies
• Quebecers remain too energy-intensive
• Quebec's climate efforts “insufficient”