The Union of Concerned Scientists and the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at University of California—Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law invite you to a timely and stimulating conversation exploring whether and how the fossil fuel industry can be held liable for the harms climate change is inflicting on communities across the country.

Live Webcast: Holding Fossil Fuel Companies Liable for Climate Change Harms
Date: Thursday, January 25
Time: 9:00 p.m. EST / 6:00 p.m. PST

The event will be webcasted live from the Fowler Museum at UCLA. You will receive an email with details on accessing the webcast upon registration.

The fossil fuel industry is responsible for decades of climate science disinformation and attempts to obstruct climate action. A recent scientific paper in Climatic Change for the first time quantifies the outsized role that carbon pollution traced to these companies has played in exacerbating climate impacts. In the face of the current climate change policy void at the federal level, legal experts are seriously exploring whether and how fossil fuel companies can be held liable.

A handful of recent lawsuits filed by cities and counties in California have put this issue front and center, and New York City also filed suit for climate damages on January 10. But the fossil fuel industry is fighting back—ExxonMobil is now threatening to countersue in California and has begun legal maneuvers that may be time-consuming and costly for the cities and counties.

Featuring scientific and legal experts, as well as perspectives from affected communities, the panel will address how companies involved in the extraction, production, and marketing of fossil fuels can be held to account for the ever-mounting costs of climate harms and preparation.