Supreme Court agrees to hear from oil and gas companies trying to block climate change lawsuits
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court He said Monday he will hear from oil and gas companies trying to block lawsuits that seek to hold the industry accountable for billions of dollars in damage linked to climate change.
The conservative-majority court agreed to take up a case in Boulder, Colorado. a series of cases claims companies are deceiving the public about how fossil fuels contribute to the economy climate change.
Governments across the country have sought billions of dollars in compensation, arguing they should be covered for rebuilding costs after wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms worsened by climate change. Lawsuits come from time to time a series of legal proceedings In states including California, Hawaii and New Jersey and worldwide aims to take action through the courts.
Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil appealed to the Supreme Court after Colorado’s highest 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 cases have been dismissed.
“The use of state laws to address global climate change poses a serious threat to one of our nation’s most critical industries,” the attorneys wrote.
President Donald Trump’s administration has weighed in to support the companies and urge the justices to reverse the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision, saying it would mean “every county in the country could essentially sue anyone in the world for contributing to global climate change.”
Trump, a Republican, criticized the lawsuits in an executive order, and the Justice Department has tried to take some of the cases to court.
Boulder’s attorneys argued the case was still in its early stages and should remain in state court. “There is no constitutional bar to states against in-state damages caused by out-of-state conduct, such as the negligent design of an automobile or the sale of asbestos,” they wrote.
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