Environmental groups Greenpeace and ReCommon said on Tuesday they had launched a lawsuit against Italian energy group Eni for contributing to climate change with its fossil fuel businesses.
Greenpeace said it had served notices about the lawsuit to Eni as well as the Italian Economy Ministry and Italian state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), which jointly control the company with a stake of around 30%.
The lawsuit would be a first for Italy.
"The plaintiffs are ... asserting their right to claim damages for the effects of climate change, for which Italy's largest energy companies bear a heavy responsibility," Greenpeace said in a written briefing.
It said it hoped to force a rethink of Eni's business strategy and stir the Italian government and CDP into playing "a stronger role in ensuring that ENI complies with the Paris Agreement (on climate change) and respects human rights."
An Eni spokesperson said the company would "prove in court the groundlessness of the lawsuit" as well as the validity of its own "transformation and decarbonisation strategy".
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini Editing by Mark Potter)