WASHINGTON — In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from oil and gas companies aimed at blocking lawsuits that seek to hold the industry accountable for substantial climate change-related damages.
These legal challenges assert that the fossil fuel industry misled the public regarding the impact of fossil fuels on climate change. Numerous state governments, including California, Colorado, and New Jersey, are pursuing billions in damages due to issues such as wildfires, rising sea levels, and severe storms. This surge in lawsuits reflects a growing trend in the United States and globally, where legal avenues are being utilized to compel action on climate change.
In Hawaii, oil and gas companies sought intervention from the Supreme Court after an adverse ruling from the state’s highest court, stemming from a lawsuit initiated by the city of Honolulu.
The companies maintain that emissions constitute a national issue, arguing that such cases should be adjudicated in federal court, where they have successfully seen other lawsuits dismissed.
“The stakes in this case could not be higher,” attorneys noted in legal documents, claiming that the lawsuits pose a “serious threat to one of the nation’s most vital industries.”
At the justices’ request, the Biden administration provided insights, urging the Supreme Court to allow the case to proceed in state court. The upcoming Republican administration is anticipated to adopt a markedly different perspective on environmental laws and energy policies.
Honolulu asserts that it has built a compelling case under state laws against deceptive marketing practices, deserving the opportunity to proceed in its jurisdiction. “Deceptive commercial practices fall squarely within the core interests and historic powers of the states,” their attorneys argued.
