New Supreme Court term begins with a climate change case seeking to hold energy companies liable

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court begins its new term by hearing a case where Boulder, Colorado, and surrounding counties sue Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy for damages related to climate change impacts, potentially affecting over two dozen similar lawsuits nationwide.
• Boulder alleges the companies misled consumers about the environmental harm caused by their products, while the oil companies argue such lawsuits should be dismissed because climate change is a national and international issue beyond state court jurisdiction and is regulated by the federal Clean Air Act.
• Justice Samuel Alito unexpectedly recused himself from the case, leaving the court with eight justices and raising the possibility of a 4-4 split that could allow the Boulder lawsuit to proceed without a definitive Supreme Court ruling.
• The case highlights ongoing tensions between state-level climate change litigation and federal authority, with the Trump administration supporting the oil companies and opposing federal climate policies, while states and advocacy groups push for accountability through the courts.
• The broader legal debate also touches on the role of state courts in addressing nationwide environmental issues and the influence of climate science in judicial proceedings, amid controversies over judicial impartiality and climate science materials used by federal judges.