TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey court dismissed the state’s lawsuit against major oil companies for their alleged climate change role, delivering a setback to environmental activists and the attorney general’s office.
In 2022, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin sued ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Phillips 66, Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute, alleging that the fossil fuel industry contributed to climate change and caused harm to the state.
The dismissal is another major blow against New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s radical alternative energy agenda.
This comes days after Murphy’s wind energy agenda was dealt several major blows, leading the governor to cancel the fourth round of offshore wind energy solicitations.
Judge Douglas H. Hurd of the Mercer County Superior Court granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss, ruling that the case failed to state a legal claim.
The lawsuit, brought by New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, accused ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, and other oil giants of misleading the public about fossil fuels’ impact on climate change.
Filed in 2022, the lawsuit alleged that the companies engaged in deceptive marketing practices and sought damages for climate-related harms in New Jersey. The state argued that oil companies misrepresented the risks of their products, contributing to rising sea levels, extreme weather, and infrastructure damage.
With the dismissal “with prejudice,” New Jersey cannot refile the case, marking a decisive victory for the oil industry. Similar lawsuits filed in Maryland and Delaware have also been dismissed in recent months.
The ruling represents a major legal blow to state-led efforts to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change.