Supreme Court declines to hear from oil, gas companies trying to block climate suits

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits seeking to hold the industry liable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change.

The industry has faced a series of lawsuits saying it deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change. Governments in states including California, Colorado and New Jersey are seeking billions of dollars in damages from things like wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms. The lawsuits come during a wave of legal actions in the U.S. and worldwide seeking to leverage action on climate change through the courts.

In Hawaii, the oil and gas companies appealed to the Supreme Court after losing in front of the state’s highest court on a lawsuit from the city of Honolulu.

The companies argue emissions are a national issue that should instead be be fought over in federal court, where they’ve successfully had suits tossed out.

“The stakes in this case could not be higher,” attorneys wrote in court documents. The lawsuits “present a serious threat to one of the nation’s most vital industries.”

The Democratic Biden administration weighed in at the justices’ request and urged them to reject the case, saying it’s fair to keep it in state court at this point. The incoming Republican Trump administration is expected to take a sharply different view of environmental law and energy production.

Honolulu argued it’s made a strong case under state laws against deceptive marketing and it should be allowed to play out there. “Deceptive commercial practices fall squarely within the core interests and historic powers of the states,” attorneys wrote.

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