纽约市在两条战线向矿物燃料产业开战。
民主党籍的纽约市长白思豪(Bill de Blasio)星期三宣布,纽约市政府控告5大石油公司对全球变暖负有责任,并卖掉纽约市退休基金中50亿美元的石油产业股份。
白思豪市长将石油公司比作烟草公司。烟草公司被指明知他们的产品有致命危险但仍然继续制造和销售。
被纽约市起诉的5家石油公司中,雪佛龙、埃克森美孚和壳牌三家公司说,诉讼没有道理,法庭不是抗击全球变暖的场所。英石油和康菲公司拒绝发表意见。
纽约市长白思豪和纽约市主计长斯静格(Scott Stringer)还宣布,从纽约市1890亿美元的雇员退休基金中出售在矿物燃料产业的50亿美元投资。
纽约州长科莫上个月宣布对州政府雇员退休基金做同样的调整。
美国和欧洲的一些城市、大学和全球基金也抛售了对石油公司的投资。
New York City is making a move against the fossil fuel industry on two fronts.
Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday the city is suing five big oil companies for global warming and divesting $5 billion in oil investments from the city’s pension funds.
The mayor compared the oil companies to cigarette manufacturers, who knowingly made and marketed a product they knew was deadly.
Three of the five companies the city is suing — Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell — said the lawsuit has no merit and that the courtroom is not the place to fight global warming. BP and ConocoPhillips declined to comment.
Mayor de Blasio and City Comptroller Scott Stringer also announced plans to sell off $5 billion in fossil fuel investments from the city’s $189 billion pension fund for employees.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced similar plans for the state pension funds last month.
Several other U.S. and European cities, universities and global funds have also sold off their oil company interests.