Cumberland Village Council voted unanimously (4-0) to allocate $1 per resident and work with other B.C. local governments to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies to recover a fair share of the communities鈥� climate costs.

Cumberland is the ninth B.C. municipality to join so far, and the third on Vancouver Island.

Cumberland has recently had to borrow $2.5 million to make its water system climate-resilient, just one example of the major climate costs facing Cumberland and other B.C. communities. The Comox Valley Sue Big Oil team and West Coast Environmental Law applaud Cumberland Council for its climate leadership and its efforts to recover some of its mounting climate costs from major polluters. 

鈥淚 moved to Cumberland because I love this community and the nature that surrounds us,鈥� said Sherry Westrop of Comox Valley Sue Big Oil. 鈥淚 want to ensure that all Cumberlanders will be safe from climate impacts in the years to come. Our village is vulnerable to heat waves and wildfires, and with such a small tax base, we can鈥檛 afford the skyrocketing costs of climate change alone.

I got involved with Comox Valley Sue Big Oil to help our community recoup a fair share of its climate costs from the world鈥檚 largest polluters. How else are we going to pay for these looming climate costs?鈥�

The Village of Cumberland joins Qualicum Beach, Burnaby, Squamish, Gibsons, View Royal, Slocan, Sechelt and Port Moody in committing to work together to bring a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies for a share of the costs of climate change.

More than 11,000 British Columbians have signed a d calling for B.C. local governments to Sue Big Oil. The Sue Big Oil campaign is endorsed by more than 40 organizations in B.C. and has volunteer action teams in communities throughout the province that are asking their local governments to participate.