Lawyers for teenagers claiming the U.S. government failed to protect the environment from global warming plan to question under oath President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state on his knowledge of climate change the day before the Jan. 20 inauguration.

Exxon Mobil Corp. CEO Rex Tillerson's testimony is being sought by lawyers representing 21 children and teenagers seeking to prove that oil and gas industry groups "have known about the dangers of climate change since the 1960s and have successfully worked to prevent the government" from taking action. The groups, whose members include Exxon, joined the lawsuit on the side of the government to oppose the teens.

The youths from across the country claim that by perpetuating the use of fossil fuels, the government has trampled their constitutional rights to life, liberty and property. They won a shot at pursuing their claims in November when an Oregon federal judge rejected the government's request to throw out their lawsuit.

Tillerson, who was a director and recent chairman-elect of the American Petroleum Institute, would be asked about the role of his company and the industry in causing global environmental damage, lawyers for the teenagers said in a statement Thursday.

One of Exxon's senior scientists noted in 1977 — 11 years before a NASA scientist sounded the alarm about global warming during congressional testimony — that "the most likely manner in which mankind is influencing the global climate is through carbon dioxide release from the burning of fossil fuels."

"Rex Tillerson is one of the most knowledgeable executives in the fossil fuel world on the role of his industry alongside our federal government in causing climate change and endangering my youth plaintiffs and all future generations," Julia Olson, attorney for the plaintiffs, said in the statement. "We intend to use his deposition to uncover his and others' culpability, on behalf of these defendants."

David Buente, an attorney representing the three trade groups in the case, said they received the notice for the deposition on Wednesday but declined to comment on it.

Attorneys for the children believe Tillerson is a "key witness" whose immediate testimony is critical. They said they're preparing for his attorneys to make attempts at blocking the scheduled deposition.

The case is Juliana v. U.S., 15-cv-01517, U.S. District Court, District of Oregon (Eugene).

Kartikay Mehrotra,

Bloomberg Newstil