Supreme Court Allows Climate Lawsuits Against Big Oil to Go Forward in State Courts

Justices Deny Fossil Fuel Companies’ Petition to Review Lower Court Rulings for Communities Across U.S., Removing a Major Hurdle for Dozens of Accountability Lawsuits Against Big Oil

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a major victory for communities fighting to put Big Oil companies on trial for their climate lies, the U.S. Supreme Court today denied fossil fuel industry requests to review lower court rulings that allow climate accountability lawsuits against ExxonMobil and other companies to proceed toward trial in state courts across the country. 

Following a series of unanimous lower court rulings against Big Oil, the high court’s action clears the way for dozens of lawsuits that state and local governments have brought against fossil fuel companies in state courts to continue advancing toward trial. Fossil fuel companies and industry allies had urged the high court to review rulings against the industry in lawsuits brought by communities in Colorado, Rhode Island, Maryland, Hawaii, and California. Today the Supreme Court denied all those petitions.

Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, released the following statement: 

“Big Oil companies have been desperate to avoid trials in state courts, where they will be forced to defend their climate lies in front of juries, and today the Supreme Court declined to bail them out. The high court’s decision is a major victory for communities across the country that are fighting to hold Big Oil accountable and make them pay for the climate damages they knowingly caused. Now it’s time for these polluters to face the evidence of their deception in court.” 

Background on Climate Accountability Lawsuits Against Big Oil: 

Since 2017, the attorneys general of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia, as well as municipal governments in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, and Washington, have filed lawsuits in state court to hold major oil and gas companies accountable for deceiving the public about their products’ role in climate change. Two cases — from Honolulu and Massachusetts — are already in pretrial discovery, with others close behind.  

To date, six federal appeals courts and 13 federal district courts have unanimously ruled against the fossil fuel industry’s arguments to prevent these lawsuits from moving forward in state courts.

In March, the U.S. Justice Department added its support to the communities, urging the Supreme Court to deny ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy’s petition to hear a case brought by three Colorado communities