For Immediate Release – May 7, 2025
Nelson, BC [Sinixt, Syilx, and Ktunaxa traditional territory] – Nelson has become the latest municipality in a growing legal movement across British Columbia demanding accountability from the world’s largest fossil fuel companies for the rising costs of climate change. With Nelson’s decision, over 390,000 British Columbians are now represented by local governments committed to a class action lawsuit to make Big Oil pay its fair share. The proposed lawsuit – which would be the first of its kind in Canada – follows a global trend of holding polluters accountable, backed by new research showing companies like Chevron are responsible for trillions in climate-related damages.
Council voted yesterday to work with other local governments to bring the case and to contribute financially when it goes ahead. Nelson is the eleventh BC municipality committed to suing Big Oil and the second in the Kootenays and BC Interior (after Slocan).
“Nelson residents are already paying a heavy but hidden cost to deal with wildfires, drought and other climate impacts resulting from the reckless burning of fossil fuels.” noted Greg Amos, Nelson resident and coordinator of West Kootenay Sue Big Oil. “I’m grateful that the City of Nelson has shown the moral courage to work with other BC communities to force American and multinational oil and gas giants to finally pay their fair share. It’s their products and marketing that are driving the climate crisis while they make massive profits.”
“Nelson is already paying a lot to protect residents from climate impacts, and could face millions of dollars in climate damage in the event of a disaster,” said Laura Sacks, Co-Founder of the West Kootenay Climate Hub. “I’m heartened to see democracy in action, as Council thoroughly discussed pros and cons and passed a resolution that addressed those concerns. West Kootenay Climate Hub, West Coast Environmental Law, and the West Kootenay Sue Big Oil team applaud their climate leadership and hope that other local governments will soon follow suit.”
“The wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, Lytton, Jasper and Fort McMurray, were tragic – and very likely would not have happened in the absence of climate change, caused primarily by fossil fuel pollution,” stated Andrew Gage, Staff Lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law. “The fossil fuel industry has known for 50 years that oil, coal and gas combustion would lead to catastrophic climate harms, but rather than pursue clean alternatives, they raked-in trillions of dollars in profits whilst promoting false solutions, blocking climate regulations, undermining climate science and spreading misinformation. These companies, more than anyone else, have the financial means to help our communities and a responsibility to make amends: they should be required to pay their fair share for the damage they’ve caused.”
The proposed Sue Big Oil class action lawsuit is the first of its kind in Canada, but there are similar examples in other jurisdictions. Seventy US cities and states, including California, Honolulu and Chicago, are already suing Big Oil because they recognize that major polluters are responsible for the climate crisis and have a responsibility to compensate communities for some of the harms. A paper published in Nature in late April demonstrated the scientific basis for apportioning liability for climate related harms between global fossil fuel companies, calculating that Chevron’s contribution to climate change, for example, has caused between $791 billion and $3.6 trillion in heat related losses between 1991 and 2020.
Nelson joins Slocan, Burnaby, Cumberland, Squamish, View Royal, Sechelt, Gibsons, Qualicum Beach, Port Moody and Pemberton, in committing to work together to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies.
With Nelson’s decision, momentum is growing for legal action to hold fossil fuel companies accountable. As climate costs continue to rise, communities can no longer shoulder the burden alone. West Kootenay Sue Big Oil, West Kootenay Climate Hub, and West Coast Environmental Law urge other local governments to stand with Nelson and the 10 other municipalities already committed to this groundbreaking lawsuit. The more communities that join, the stronger the case–and the clearer the message: polluters must pay their fair share.
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For more information, please contact:
Greg Amos | Sue Big Oil West Kootenay (Nelson)
suebigoil.wk@gmail.com
Andrew Gage | Staff Lawyer | West Coast Environmental Law
604-601-2506, agage@wcel.org
