ExxonMobil Accuses California of Violating Its Free Speech

ExxonMobil has sued California, claiming the state's new climate disclosure laws violate its First Amendment rights by forcing the company to report greenhouse gas emissions and climate risks using standards it 'fundamentally disagrees with.' The Verge reports: The oil and gas company claims that the two laws in question aim to 'embarrass' large corporations the state 'believes are uniquely responsible for climate change' in order to push them to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. There is overwhelming scientific consensus that greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels cause climate change by trapping heat on the planet. Under laws the state passed in 2023, 'ExxonMobil will be forced to describe its emissions and climate-related risks in terms the company fundamentally disagrees with,' a complaint filed Friday says. The suit asks a US District Court to stop the laws from being enforced.

ExxonMobil's latest suit now says the company 'understands the very real risks associated with climate change and supports continued efforts to address those risks,' but that California's laws would force it 'to describe its emissions and climate-related risks in terms the company fundamentally disagrees with.' 'These laws are about transparency. ExxonMobil might want to continue keeping the public in the dark, but we're ready to litigate vigorously in court to ensure the public's access to these important facts,' Christine Lee, a spokesperson for the California Department of Justice, said in an email to The Verge.

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