A group of over 10,000 people in the United States, organised by Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Public Citizen, have sent a letter to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) urging it “to investigate the crimes of the fossil fuel industry”.

More than 10% of the signatories are climate survivors – they experienced and survived climate disasters such as hurricanes and floods.

The letter highlights the fossil fuel industry’s awareness of the devastating impact their activities have on our climate; an awareness that dates back to at least 1954.

For decades, fossil fuel companies have been investigating global warming and the role of their products, yet they have consistently downplayed or obscured their findings, prioritising profits over environmental responsibility and delaying meaningful action to address the climate crisis.

As a result, the letter claims, the fossil fuel industry has contributed significantly to the “increasingly lethal extreme weather events” that take place in the United States. Among the signatories are people who have lost other people, their property, and their businesses.

The US DOJ and Climate Change

The DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division is responsible of prosecuting violations of environmental and natural resource laws across the United States.

A key focus of the Division is addressing climate change, which the DOJ has identified as an agency-wide priority. Central to the DOJ’s strategic plan is the advancement of environmental justice and the urgent need to combat the climate crisis.

The DOJ is dedicated to leveraging existing statutes to prioritise enforcement actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, secure meaningful emission reductions, and hold violators accountable for environmental crimes.