Supreme Court weighs oil companies’ bid to block climate lawsuits before trial
A ruling could decide whether state and local governments can keep pressing claims that oil companies misled the public about climate change.
The US Supreme Court heard arguments from oil companies over whether climate deception lawsuits can be blocked before trial, a decision that could affect more than two dozen cases seeking billions in damages. The dispute matters because it could determine whether state and local governments can keep pursuing claims that the industry misled the public about climate change. The case now before the court was filed in 2018 by Boulder, Colorado, against ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy in state court. The companies are arguing that federal law should bar those lawsuits from going forward.
Why it matters
If the justices side with the companies, more than two dozen cases seeking billions in damages could be stopped before trial. That would narrow the path for state and local governments trying to hold oil companies to account through claims based on alleged climate deception.
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Sources
- Ars Technica