ExxonMobil sues California over climate disclosure laws citing free speech

ExxonMobil has filed a lawsuit against the state of California, alleging that two climate change laws violate the company’s right to free speech, according to multiple outlets.

The company filed the complaint in the US Eastern District Court in California on Friday, alleging that the new laws force it to agree with the state’s view on climate change, specifically that oil and gas companies are particularly to blame, according to Bloomberg.

One bill would require large companies that do business with the state to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions each year.

The second law requires companies that spend more than $500 million with the state to write a report every two years on how climate change affects their business.

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Both laws require ExxonMobil to comply with the California Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, which the company claims forces it to shoulder the blame for global warming.

“ExxonMobil understands the real risks associated with climate change and supports ongoing efforts to address those risks,” the company said in its report, according to Bloomberg. “California may believe that companies that meet the law’s revenue limits are uniquely responsible for climate change; but the First Amendment categorically prohibits it from forcing ExxonMobil to speak in favor of that misguided view.”

Both laws require ExxonMobil to comply with the California Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, which the company claims forces it to shoulder the blame for global warming. (Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images/Getty Images)

ExxonMobil was not immediately available for comment Saturday.

FOX Business has reached out to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for comment.

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The company also alleged in the filing that a state law conflicts with a federal law regulating what companies must disclose regarding climate and financial risks. (Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The company also alleged in the filing that a state law conflicts with a federal law regulating what companies must disclose regarding climate and financial risks, according to Bloomberg.

The company asked the court to prevent the laws from entering into force in 2026.