The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it agreed to hear an appeal by Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Suncor Energy (SU) in an effort to stop dozens of city and state lawsuits that blame oil companies for climate change.
The court said it will review a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that said the city and county of Boulder could use state law to press a lawsuit against the two companies that seeks unspecified monetary damages for costs incurred by Boulder associated with mitigating the impact of climate change.
In their 2008 lawsuit, the Boulder government officials accused Exxon (XOM) and Suncor (SU) of misleading the public about the role their products played in exacerbating climate change while profiting from unchecked fossil fuel sales.
The oil companies argue in their appeal that the Constitution does not permit state lawsuits aimed at addressing a global issue like climate change, saying, “Boulder, Colorado, cannot make energy policy for the entire country.”
The Supreme Court previously turned down a similar bid by Sunoco (SUN) and other oil companies to reject a climate-related lawsuit by Honolulu after Hawaii’s top court allowed it to proceed.