(Washington) The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damages related to the changes climatic.
The ordinance allows the City of Honolulu to continue its lawsuit against oil and gas companies. The city’s chief resilience officer, Ben Sullivan, noted that it was an important decision that would protect “taxpayers and communities from the immense costs and consequences of the climate crisis caused by the defendants’ misconduct “.
The oil and gas industry has faced a series of lawsuits accusing it of misleading the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change. Governments in states like California, Colorado and New Jersey are seeking billions of dollars in damages for causes including wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms. The lawsuits come amid a wave of lawsuits in the United States and around the world aimed at pressuring the courts for action on climate change.
The oil and gas companies appealed to the Supreme Court after Hawaii’s highest court allowed the suit. Affected companies include Sunoco, Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and BP, many of which are headquartered in Texas.
The companies argued that the emissions are a national problem that should instead be resolved in federal court, where they won their lawsuits tossed out.
“The stakes in this case could not be higher,” the lawyers wrote in court documents. The lawsuits “represent a serious threat to one of the nation’s most vital industries.”
Two political visions
The American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank, has argued that the refusal to hear Honolulu’s case means companies could face more lawsuits from activists trying to “get in on the act.” the country’s energy regulators.
I hope the Court will hear the issue one day, in the interest of constitutional accountability and the public interest.
Adam White, fellow, American Enterprise Institute
The Democratic Biden administration weighed in on the justices’ request and urged them to dismiss the case, saying it was right to keep it in state court at this point — although the administration acknowledged that businesses could eventually prevail.
The incoming Republican Trump administration is expected to take a radically different view of environmental law and energy production.
Honolulu argued that it had made a strong case under the state’s laws against deceptive marketing and should be allowed to play that field. “Deceptive marketing practices fall squarely within the fundamental interests and historical powers of states,” the lawyers wrote.
Environmental regulations, meanwhile, have not always been welcomed by the conservative-majority Court. In 2022, the justices limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. In June, the Court put an end to the agency’s “good neighbor” rule when it comes to combating air pollution.
Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from reviewing the appeal. He did not specify a reason, but he owns shares in companies affected by the lawsuits, according to his latest financial disclosure.
