Summary/Abstract
This expert report was written by Daniel Swain, Ph.D., a climate scientist, and filed by plaintiffs in the case County of Multnomah v. Exxon Mobil Corp.
In the report, the author provides expert testimony on “the evidence relevant to determining whether human-caused (i.e., anthropogenic and predominantly caused by the burning of fossil fuels) climate change influenced the likelihood of occurrence and/or severity of several specific extreme meteorological events that affected northwestern Oregon (including Multnomah County) between 2014 and the present.” It also offers “an evidence-based opinion, to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty, regarding whether these same specific events can, at least in part, be linked to the actions of specific entities that caused fossil fuel-derived greenhouse gases to be emitted into the atmosphere prior to their occurrence.”
The underlying case, County of Multnomah v. Exxon Mobil Corp., was brought by Multnomah County in Oregon against fossil fuel companies, oil and gas industry trade associations, and the consulting company McKinsey, seeking to hold them liable for harms allegedly caused by anthropogenic climate change to which the defendants substantially contributed. For more information about this case, visit the Sabin Center’s Climate Litigation Database.
Note: This climate attribution research was presented in the context of a contested legal proceeding. Different countries, courts, and legal forums may have different standards for expert testimony, and may conduct fact-finding based on legal standards of proof that differ from those applied in academic publishing. Readers should independently investigate and understand the bases for the assertions made in this document before applying this research in other contexts.