The State of Hawaiʻi has filed a lawsuit against several fossil fuel companies and the American Petroleum Institute, accusing them of deceptive practices and failing to warn the public about the environmental risks of their products. On Thursday, Attorney General Anne Lopez responded to a federal lawsuit that seeks to block the state’s case, stating, "We have an obligation to the people of Hawaiʻi, to do everything in our power to fight deceptive practices from these fossil fuel companies that erode Hawaiʻi’s public health, natural resources and economy," according to the Office of the Governor.
The Department of Justice attempted to stop Hawaiʻi from taking legal action against fossil fuel companies, but Governor Josh Green, M.D., and Attorney General Lopez filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of the First Circuit. The lawsuit names several fossil fuel companies and the American Petroleum Institute as defendants. It includes claims of deceptive practices, negligence, and damage to public resources, citing violations of Hawaiʻi’s Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices Statute. There are seven causes of action, including public and private nuisance and trespass. The lawsuit describes environmental and health impacts in Hawaiʻi, including damage to public housing and correctional facilities from sea level rise and heavy rainfall. Governor Green said, "This climate-related wildfire was the deadliest in United States history in more than a century," referring to a wildfire on Maui that resulted in over 100 deaths and billions in damages, as reported by the Office of the Governor.
Hawaiʻi has filed a complaint seeking a jury trial and damages from fossil fuel companies, citing their role in climate change. The lawsuit mentions threats to key resources, including beach erosion affecting 70 percent of state beaches and projected freshwater shortages of 100 million gallons per day by 2030. The companies are accused of failing to act or warn the public about the climate risks linked to their products. “These defendants had a duty to warn people about the climate dangers associated with their products, or to mitigate those dangers. But they did neither of those things,” said Attorney General Lopez. The case also reflects ongoing legal disagreements between Hawaiʻi and the federal government over who is responsible for climate-related costs, as stated by the Office of the Governor.
