WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear from oil and gas companies in an attempt to block lawsuits aimed at holding the industry accountable for billions of dollars in damage caused by climate change.
The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case in Boulder, Colorado, one of a series of lawsuits accusing the companies of deceiving the public about how fossil fuels cause climate change.
Governments across the country have sought damages totaling billions of dollars, deemed necessary to help pay for rebuilding after wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms exacerbated by climate change. The lawsuits come amid a wave of legal actions seeking action through courts in states such as California, Hawaii and New Jersey and around the world.
Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil appealed to the Supreme Court after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed the Boulder case to proceed. The companies argue that emissions are a national problem and should be heard in federal court, where similar lawsuits have been dismissed.
“The use of state law to combat global climate change poses a serious threat to one of our nation’s most critical sectors,” the attorneys wrote.
President Donald Trump’s administration has stepped in to support the companies and urged judges to overturn the Colorado Supreme Court ruling, saying it means “every region in the country can sue anyone in the world who contributes to global climate change.”
Trump, a Republican, criticized the lawsuits in an executive order, and the Justice Department has tried to block some in court.
Boulder’s attorneys argue the lawsuit is still in its early stages and should remain in state court. “The Constitution does not prohibit states from addressing in-state harm resulting from out-of-state conduct, whether negligent automobile design or the sale of asbestos,” they wrote.
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