A view of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 2024.
Benoit Tessier | Reuters
Washington—— this Supreme Court An appeal filed by oil companies seeking to end a Hawaii lawsuit seeking to hold them responsible for climate change was dismissed Monday.
The decision means the City of Honolulu can continue its closely watched lawsuit against the company, which includes: sunoco and shellbring a claim under the laws of the State of Hawaii.
The companies argue that climate change is essentially a federal law issue that should not be addressed by state courts. Other companies sued include Exxon Mobil, Chevron and blood pressure.
The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled in October 2023 that the case could continue, focusing on the oil companies’ alleged deceptive marketing and public statements rather than the actual impacts of climate change.
The state court concluded that the lawsuit was not preempted by federal law because it “does not seek regulatory emissions and does not seek damages for interstate emissions.”
The Biden administration had urged the Supreme Court not to take up the cases.
Business interests have been desperately trying to block climate change lawsuits filed by municipalities in state courts across the country. To this end, they have repeatedly approached the Supreme Court for help.
In 2021, the court ruled in favor of the company on a procedural issue in a claim filed by the city of Baltimore.
But two years later, the judges turn away Several companies filed appeals in an attempt to move the cases to federal court, which is generally considered better for business.
At the national level, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority has hampered the EPA’s ability to combat climate change, imposing new limits on its authority. 2022 ruling.
Also relevant is 2011 ruling In it, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt to sue the company under federal common law. The court ruled at the time that the Clean Air Act, a key federal law regulating air pollution, meant common law claims could not be brought.
