Baltimore city officials are suing oil companies Friday for supposedly contributing to man-made global warming.
The city’s decision to sue comes a day after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit from New York city officials leveled against Exxon and others. Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and city Solicitor Andre Davis will discuss elements of the lawsuit at a Friday news conference.
Cities in California, Colorado and Rhode Island have also filed similar lawsuits against energy producers over the past year. They argue that Exxon and others should pony-up money for mitigation efforts designed to forestall the effects from climate change.
Another judge dismissed the lawsuits in Oakland and San Francisco, arguing that the U.S. Congress is only the governmental body responsible for enacting policies needed to mitigate global warming. Manufacturers and conservative groups worry trial attorneys are behind the spat of climate litigation.
Trial lawyers with Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP handled climate lawsuits on behalf of the two California cities and New York City in exchange for a percentage of any winnings, called a contingency fee.
Hagens Berman stood to earn billions of dollars in contingency fees depending on the total winnings, from a favorable judgement against oil companies. The three cities claimed billions of dollars worth of damage from global warming induced by fossil fuels.