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#LaGiustaCausa: Italian Oil Giant Eni Is Latest Corporation To Face Climate Lawsuit [1]
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Date: 2023-05-16
Exxon knew. Shell knew. Total knew. BP knew. Chevron knew. Now, we’re finding out that Eni also allegedly knew about the dangers of burning fossil fuels, and instead of warning the world and leading the transition to green energy, the Italian oil company chose to trick the public and harm the planet in order to rake in massive profits , just like all the other oil corporations.
On May 9, Greenpeace Italy, advocacy group ReCommon, and 12 Italian citizens announced the first climate lawsuit in Italy, which seeks to hold the country’s largest energy company accountable for “past and potential future damages resulting from its contribution to climate change, of which ENI was well aware but chose to ignore for decades.”
The plaintiffs are pointing to an Eni research report from 1970 that refers to the “catastrophic” climate consequences of burning fossil fuels. The company allegedly used lobbying and greenwashing tactics to downplay the risks of its products and push for more fossil fuel usage.
According to DeSmog , “Eni’s company magazine Ecos made repeated references to climate change during the late 1980s and 1990s — while running advertising campaigns promoting natural gas, which is mostly comprised of planet-warming methane, as a ‘clean’ fuel.” Eni’s past ads shamelessly exclaimed things like “Welcome friend methane!” and “Your methane helps Italy stay beautiful.”
Ben Franta, Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme, told DeSmog, “These findings reinforce and add to the pattern found in previous research: Oil majors understood the catastrophic effects their products would have on the world, yet failed to warn the public, concealed their knowledge, denied the problem, and obstructed efforts to solve it.”
The plaintiffs are seeking to force Eni to reduce its CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030. This goal is in stark contrast to Eni’s current climate pledges, which advocacy organization Oil Change International has called “ grossly insufficient .”
While Eni claims to be working toward the Paris Agreement goals in the long term, the corporation is ramping up fossil fuel production in the short term. “Eni took a bath of green paint,” Simona Abbate of Greenpeace Italy told DeSmog. “But no color is enough to comply with the Paris Agreement.”
The lawsuit also seeks to hold the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and the public investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti accountable for their role in influencing Eni’s choices as the company’s main shareholders. If the plaintiffs win the case, these government bodies will have to adopt “policies that guide their participation in the company by setting and monitoring ENI’s climate objectives in line with the Paris Agreement and human rights.”
In response, Eni is staying true to its sleazy track record and is apparently considering legal action against ReCommon for alleged defamation.
Best of luck to the plaintiffs as they champion #LaGiustaCausa (#TheJustCause) and try to hold Eni accountable in this groundbreaking lawsuit.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/16/2169642/--LaGiustaCausa-Italian-Oil-Giant-Eni-Is-Latest-Corporation-To-Face-Climate-Lawsuit
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