2024-06-18 Peter Pare - The Gulf Islands Sue Big Oil Group

Extracted text (beginning)

WHYSHOULDTHEISLANDSTRUST
SUEBIGOIL?
(WITHOTHERLOCALGOVERNMENTS)
19 June 2024
Andrew Gage, 
West Coast Environmental Law
Photo by David O., used under CC Licence

Photos: Julia Kidder (Ashcroft), Tracy Calogheros(IownaIsland),Province of BC (Abbotsford)



Islands Trust Expenses

-Denman Island Conservancy, October 17, 2023



Image from The Guardian, 2013

“Whenever you burn 
conventional fuel, you create 
carbon dioxide... [contributing 
to] a greenhouse effect ... [A] 
temperature rise 
corresponding to a 10 per cent 
increase in carbon dioxide will 
be sufficient to melt the icecap 
and submerge New York. All 
the coastal cities would be 
covered ....” 
–Dr. Edward Teller, 1959, Speaking to the American 
Petroleum Institute

Exxon 
Mobil 1982







“We call on our local governments to:
•take urgent action to reduce our fossil fuel 
use and protect us from future heat 
waves, wildfires, flooding and other 
climate impacts;
•set aside at least $1 per person towards a 
community fund to sue Big Oil;
•join with other local governments to file a 
class action lawsuit to recover a fair share 
of our climate costs;
•work to build equitable, sustainable 
systems for transportation, housing and 
food that put people and the planet before 
corporate profits; and
•cooperate with Indigenous peoples in 
doing so.”

puts climate risks onto 
industry balance sheets
Fossil fuel industry 
profits
Our communities 
pay the costs of 
climate change
Everyone –including fossil 
fuel companies -pays their 
fair share of climate costs

is legally possible
Photo from MillieuDefensie

is financially 
manageable

“Some people say that 
instead of local 
communities and taxpayers 
paying all of the increasing 
costs of climate change, 
local governments in BC 
should work together to sue 
the world’s most polluting oil 
companies to make them 
pay for a share of these 
costs. Do you support or 
oppose this idea?” 
(Stratcom, 2022)
is Popular
Strongly 
Support 
(39%)
Somewhat 
Support (30%)
Somewhat 
Oppose 
(12%)
Strongly 
Oppose (7%)
Don’t Know 
(12%)

benefits our communities
•Early on judge confirms that there is a 
winnable case.
•Changes in investor, fossil fuel company 
behaviour.
•Needed resource for our communities. 
•Fossil fuel companies, investors and 
governments record climate costs as a liability, 
making better business decisions.



What Sue Big Oil wants from the 
Islands Trust
•$0.50 per resident pledged;
•A call to the Regional Districts to contribute the 
other $0.50; and
•A pledge to work with other local governments to 
work towards a class action lawsuit. 

www.suebigoil.ca
agage@wcel.org

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