Italian oil firm Eni faces lawsuit alleging early knowledge of climate crisis
(The Guardian, 9 May 2023) Exclusive: Company accused of ‘lobbying and greenwashing’ for more fossil fuels despite knowing of risks.
The Italian oil major Eni is facing the country’s first climate lawsuit, with environmental groups alleging the company used “lobbying and greenwashing” to push for more fossil fuels despite having known about the risks its product posed since 1970.
Greenpeace Italy and the Italian advocacy group ReCommon aim to build on a similar case targeting the Anglo-Dutch oil major Royal Dutch Shell in the Netherlands to force Eni to slash its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030.
“The urgency of taking action against the climate crisis has prompted us to bring the first climate lawsuit in Italy against the country’s largest energy company,” said Matteo Ceruti, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
The allegations rest in part on a study Eni commissioned between 1969 and 1970 from its Isvet research centre, which has been shared with the Guardian by the nonprofit climate news service DeSmog. The report made clear that left unchecked, rising fossil fuel use could lead to a climate crisis within just a few decades.
External link
The Guardian, 9 May 2023: Italian oil firm Eni faces lawsuit alleging early knowledge of climate crisisShare this on social media
