The Vancouver City Council approved this week a proposal to allocate hundreds of thousands of dollars for a potential lawsuit against major oil companies.

The proposal, presented by Coun. Adriane Carr, involves the city's commitment of about $660,000 for a legal campaign called Sue Big Oil to recover the cost of climate change, such as seawall repairs and protection from extreme heat.

This amount was calculated by allocating one dollar per resident. According to the 2021 census, Vancouver's population was 662,248 while the 2022 operating budget was $1.47 billion, meaning the funds represent about 0.04 percent of the budget.

The Westcoast Environmental Law and Georgia Straight Alliance stand behind this initiative and believe that major oil companies have contributed to climate change, saying it is time to pay their fair share.

Andrew Radzik from the Georgia Straight Alliance said, "The vote in Vancouver to allocate these funds is vital to building a class action lawsuit to hold major oil companies accountable."

"They have engaged in deceptive practices and sold a dangerous product while knowing it will change our climate."