Supreme Court Denies Oil Industry Plea to Block Climate Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a significant blow to the oil industry by refusing to block lawsuits filed by California and other blue states seeking billions in damages for the impacts of climate change. This decision, made without any comment or dissent, effectively allows the lawsuits to proceed.

The cases, brought against major energy producers such as Sunoco, Shell, and others, revolve around the allegation that these companies knowingly concealed the harmful effects of burning fossil fuels. The oil industry’s argument hinged on the global nature of climate change, asserting that such matters should fall under federal jurisdiction rather than being litigated state by state.

“The stakes could not be higher,” the companies argued in their appeal, Sunoco vs. Honolulu, urging the Supreme Court to intervene. However, the justices declined to hear the case, leaving the lawsuits to advance in state courts.

This development paves the way for over two dozen lawsuits filed by states and municipalities, aiming to hold oil giants accountable for their alleged role in climate-related damages. These claims will now move forward, seeking to prove that major oil producers were aware of the potential consequences of fossil fuel consumption but deliberately chose to mislead the public and policymakers.

“Big Oil companies keep fighting a losing battle to avoid standing trial for their climate lies,” said Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity. “With this latest denial, the fossil fuel industry’s worst nightmare — having to face the overwhelming evidence of their decades of calculated climate deception — is closer than ever to becoming a reality.”

California has been a leading force in these efforts. In 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit in San Francisco County Superior Court against Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, and the American Petroleum Institute. The state accuses these entities of engaging in a “decades-long campaign of deception” that has exacerbated climate-related harms, including wildfires, droughts, and rising sea levels.

The Supreme Court’s decision represents a major milestone in the ongoing legal battles over climate accountability. It also raises the prospect of further scrutiny on the oil industry’s historical practices and their long-term impact on the environment.