This week, another BC community joined a campaign to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies.
Cumberland is now the ninth BC community to join the ‘Sue Big Oil’ campaign and the third from Vancouver Island, joining the ranks of View Royal and Qualicum Beach.
The Sue Big Oil campaign was launched by a law firm called West Coast Environmental Law, who take on several eco-justice related causes.
In this class action lawsuit, they hope to collect money from oil, gas, and coal companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell who they claim are responsible, through their operations and products, for two-thirds of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Cumberland recently had to borrow $2.5 million to upgrade its wastewater system, making it more climate-resilient.
According to the Sue Big Oil team, this is just one example of the major climate costs facing BC communities.
“I moved to Cumberland because I love this community and the nature that surrounds us,” said Sherry Westrop, Comox Valley Sue Big Oil.
“I want to ensure that all Cumberlanders will be safe from climate impacts in the years to come. Our village is vulnerable to heat waves and wildfires, and with such a small tax base, we can’t afford the skyrocketing costs of climate change alone.”
In addition to the nine communities who have embraced this campaign, over 55 organizations and 11,000 British Columbians have signed a declaration asking their local governments to join the lawsuit.
