Port Moody will join Sue Big Oil lawsuit, mayor announces

On one side of the courtroom, international oil companies. On the other side: Port Moody.

Port Moody Mayor Meghan Lahti announced Thursday the City of the Arts will join a growing – but still unled – class action lawsuit against fossil fuel companies.

“It is our intention to join with other local governments to support a class action lawsuit to recover our fair share of climate costs,” Lahti stated in a press release.

Municipalities including Burnaby, Gibsons, View Royal, Squamish, Qualicum Beach and Slocan have signed on to the lawsuit, which could target companies like Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Saudi Aramco, British Petroleum and Shell, according to the non-profit West Coast Environmental Law.

However, moving the case forward will require one city to take on the responsibility of serving as representative class action plaintiff and hire the legal team.

In the event another municipality takes that lead role, Port Moody pledged approximately $38,000 – $1 per resident – to help cover legal costs. The cash would be drawn from a litigation reserve fund and would not impact tax rates, Lahti stated.

Earlier this year, Port Moody rebuffed an environmental group’s request to talk to council about the issue, stating the city had “no jurisdiction.”

Following a protest outside city hall and an appeal to council during public input, council reversed the previous decision. Port Moody formally voted to join the lawsuit in an April 23 closed council meeting.

As part of the motion, which was recently made public, Port Moody is also calling on the provincial and federal governments to hold fossil fuel companies financially liable for the effects of climate change.

Lahti noted the high costs of climate change on Thursday.

“Fossil fuels have contributed to climate change in a significant way and, as we work to implement Port Moody’s Climate Action Plan, it’s important that we recover costs so that we can reduce the financial burden placed on our residents,” Lahti stated.

Port Moody’s environmental costs associated with its Climate Action Plan are estimated at up to $11.7 million by 2040.