Oil giants accused in legal action of deceiving public about climate damage

The oil companies are accused of deceiving the public about the climate risks of fossil fuels (Jeff Chiu/AP)

The state of California is taking legal action against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels now faulted for climate change-related storms and wildfires that have caused billions of dollars in damage.

A civil lawsuit filed in the Superior Court in San Francisco also seeks the creation of a fund – financed by the companies – to pay for recovery efforts following devastating storms and fires.