US supreme court takes up fossil fuel firms’ climate accountability case
The Guardian • • general
Key Points:
- The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments in a climate accountability lawsuit filed by Boulder, Colorado, against oil giants Suncor Energy USA and ExxonMobil, marking the first time the court will address such a case.
- The defendants argue that federal laws pre-empt the lawsuit, and the court's ruling could either bolster climate litigation efforts nationwide or potentially dismiss Boulder’s and similar cases.
- The justices will also consider whether they have the authority to hear the case at this time, creating uncertainty about the lawsuit's progression and possibly delaying related climate accountability trials.
- The case's outcome may be influenced by a recent EPA decision under the Trump administration to repeal a key legal finding that enabled federal regulation of climate-warming pollution.
