Exxon Mobil is the largest non-government company in the international energy industry, accounting for around 3% of the world’s oil. As a result, the use of their products causes substantial pollution, pollution that the State of California wants calculated and reported to the public. According to an article published this week in The New York Times by Karen Zraick, Exxon is not happy about these mandated reports, which differ from reports required in the past that measured only corporate emissions, not emissions further produced by consumers using a corporation’s products. The company is suing California for violation of free speech over this request for use calculations. Exxon claims that California’s Climate Accountability Package policy is meant to publicly shame big businesses, and an approach that would reward more efficient companies is needed. Tara Gallegos, a spokeswoman for California Governor Gavin Newsom, has confidence that the law will be upheld as previous similar suits have been dismissed, but results likely won’t be reached for many months. This lawsuit has significant implications. If Exxon wins, it could undermine similar climate efforts in other states and weaken the push for corporate climate transparency, meaning policymakers and investors may lack the ability to assess the true environmental impact of major polluters. If California’s laws are upheld, however, it may accelerate a global trend towards greater corporate accountability as other states follow its lead, fundamentally altering how energy giants operate in a world that won’t budge in its fight against climate change.

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