Summary/Abstract
This expert report was written by Richard Heede, 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 results of a source attribution effort that is focused on selected oil, gas, and coal companies and their production, refinery output, and petroleum product sales over the period from 1965 to 2022, using to the fullest extent possible company-reported data from sources such as their Annual Reports and SEC Form 10-Ks (for US companies, or 20-F for Canadian companies and 40-F for foreign companies).”
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.