The county Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday in favor of a resolution supporting the California attorney general’s lawsuit against large oil companies and one advocacy group.

Sponsored by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, the resolution backs “Attorney General Rob Bonta’s efforts to hold the defendants accountable for misleading the public on the danger that fossil fuels have to the state of California.”

In September 2023, Bonta announced a lawsuit against five of the world’s largest oil companies: BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell, along with the American Petroleum Institute.

“With our lawsuit, California becomes the largest geographic area and the largest economy to take these giant oil companies to court,” Bonta said in a statement last year. “It is time they pay to abate the harm they have caused.”

In a statement released after the vote, Lawson-Remer said protecting San Diego County beaches, bays and coastlines “against the looming impacts of climate change requires adaptation, mitigation and funding to make investments that tackle this crisis.”

“When the AG’s lawsuit succeeds, communities across San Diego County and California will receive tremendous benefits,” added Lawson-Remer, board vice chair.

During the meeting, Lawson-Remer said the lawsuit is necessary based on recent natural disasters, including historic droughts, flooding and wildfires.

“The situation is only getting worse,” said Lawson-Remer, who also noted  recent scorching temperatures across the county, increased pollution and coastal bluff erosion.

She added that the oil industry has been one of the largest perpetrators of climate change and climate-inflicted harm.

According to the United Nations, fossil fuels are the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and are responsible for 90% of carbon emissions, Lawson-Remer said.

Oil companies dating back to the 1960s knew the burning of fossil fuels would warm the planet, she added.

Lawson-Remer’s office said the state lawsuit outlines how the companies used false advertisements and “greenwashing” practices “to deceive the public” about the “reality of climate change and the connection between combustion of fossil fuels and climate change and the climate change related harms in California.”

Supervisor Joel Anderson was the lone no vote on the resolution.

In a statement after the regular meeting ended, Anderson said that “frivolous election-year lawsuits that only drive up the cost of fuel make it even more difficult for my constituents who are struggling to keep up with inflation.”

During a public comment period Tuesday, several callers urged supervisors to back the resolution as a way to hold corporations accountable.

“Big Oil companies have spent decades profiting from fossil fuels, knowing full well the damage they were inflicting on our planet,” said Karinna Gonzalez, deputy director of Hammond Climate Solutions Foundation.

The resolution is a “great first step, but it’s not enough,” she added.

County resident Kathleen Lippitt said the board needed to look at the issue from both sides.

“Petroleum-based products impact every aspect of our economy,” while green energy projects can be unreliable and unsustainable, Lippitt said.

“I can understand evolving to different forms of energy, however, you have to do it slowly, to make sure that you are recognizing the changes in technology that will make many of these solar and wind farms obsolete before they’re even finished,” she added.

Supervisor Jim Desmond was absent from the Tuesday meeting.