"If successful, the lawsuits from cities, states and counties could put companies like Exxon Mobil on the hook for billions of dollars."
"The Supreme Court has [agreed to hear] green-lighted the fossil fuel industry’s latest attempt to quash a swath of lawsuits seeking to hold oil companies accountable for the costs of climate change.
In an order issued Monday, the justices agreed to consider an argument from Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy that federal law bars local governments from seeking relief for climate change in state courts. The high court’s move is a preliminary win for the companies, which have warned that such lawsuits could cost them billions of dollars.
It takes the vote of four justices to agree to hear a petition — a threshold most requests fail to achieve. The court rebuffed similar efforts twice last year but did hand energy companies a narrow procedural win in the litigation in 2021. The court added a question to the companies’ request, asking both parties to determine whether the Supreme Court has the authority to hear the case.
The oil and gas companies called their latest petition, Suncor v. Boulder, “extraordinarily compelling” and argued there is a “clear and acknowledged conflict” as to whether federal law precludes local governments from filing lawsuits against fossil fuel producers for the alleged effects of global greenhouse gas emissions."
Lesley Clark reports for E&E News February 23, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"Supreme Court to Weigh Oil-Industry Effort to End a Major Climate Suit" (New York Times)
