The Premier of Alberta has responded to news last week that the City of Victoria has endorsed a class action lawsuit against big oil and gas companies.

The 8-1 motion passed at Victoria city council and will now be brought up at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meeting this September. The endorsement favours a class action lawsuit B次元官网网址渙n behalf of member local governments to recover costs arising from climate change from major fossil fuels corporations.B次元官网网址�

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The motion also asks the province to consider legislation to support local governments in recovering these costs.

In a statement from the Alberta government, Notley calls the B次元官网网址渉ypocrisyB次元官网网址� of the proposed lawsuit to be B次元官网网址渁stounding.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲hile Victoria is pumping over 100 million litres of raw sewage into the ocean everyday, the hardworking people of our energy sector are reducing emissions, investing in clean technology and powering our great country. We will defend our workers everyday, especially against grandstanding lawsuits.B次元官网网址�

Victoria city councillor Ben Isitt said their proposed lawsuit is an appropriate step for municipalities to safeguard financial interests.

B次元官网网址淚 think as we see the impacts of climate change coming more and more apparent, this type of action becomes an all-the-more appropriate step for municipalities to safeguard the financial interests of our residents by seeking to recover costs arising from climate change from the companies that have profited for the burning of fossil fuels,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭he other actions allow us to quantify the amount of damage the city has been experiencing and also opening the door to working with other local governments to explore potential legal proceedings to help recover these costs.B次元官网网址�

Municipal staff from throughout the province will present their ideas at the upcoming UBCM conference Sept. 23-27 in Vancouver.

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