Pemberton joins lawsuit against fossil-fuel companies

The Village of Pemberton Council voted unanimously to join a Sue Big Oil lawsuit against fossil-fuel companies. The vote also approved allocating $1 per resident from Pemberton’s Speĺkúmtn Community Forest Legacy Fund to support the case. Pemberton is the 10th BC municipality to join the lawsuit.

“Since my wife and I moved to Pemberton in 2021, we’ve lived through the heat dome, with record temperatures reaching 43°C, and the atmospheric river that same year, which flooded low-lying areas of town,” said Pemberton resident Erich Baumann.

“Devastating wildfires are creeping closer, destroying properties near Gun Lake and Downton Lake in 2023, and in the Elaho Valley in 2024. Each year now, we face wildfire smoke and the threat of property damage. On top of safety concerns, we’re also anticipating rising insurance costs. How are small communities like Pemberton, with limited resources, supposed to cope?”

West Coast Environmental Law and My Sea to Sky applauded Pemberton Council for its climate leadership in seeking to recover the costs of climate change. “Small B.C. communities like Pemberton can’t afford the emergency response and infrastructure upgrades that climate change increasingly demands,” said Fiona Koza, Climate Accountability Strategist at West Coast Environmental Law.

“The fossil fuel industry has known for decades that coal, oil, and gas would cause catastrophic climate damage. Yet they blocked climate action, promoted false solutions, and spread misinformation—all while reaping trillions in profits,” said Andrew Gage, Staff Lawyer at West Coast Environmental Law. “Just as the tobacco industry was forced to pay billions in compensation, fossil fuel companies should be required to pay their fair share to protect communities from harm.”

“We commend the Village of Pemberton for joining the growing movement of communities holding the fossil fuel industry accountable,” said Tracey Saxby, Executive Director of My Sea to Sky. “Pemberton is standing up for climate justice and its residents by supporting the Sue Big Oil campaign. We urge Whistler, West Vancouver, and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District to follow suit.”

Pemberton joins Squamish, Burnaby, Cumberland, Slocan, View Royal, Sechelt, Gibsons, Qualicum Beach, and Port Moody in the lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies.