The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an oil company's request to dismiss the City of Honolulu's lawsuit that holds oil companies liable for the effects of climate change.
Defendants, including Sunoco, Shell, ExxonMobil, BP and Chevron, argued that the lawsuit has no standing in state court and can proceed only under federal law. The state Supreme Court had earlier rejected that argument, noting that the case was not seeking to restrict interstate commerce, but was argued on the basis of deceptive marketing.
The conservative-majority court rejected a similar challenge from oil companies in 2023 in a lawsuit brought by cities in Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawaii, and Rhode Island. However, the court previously sided with a similar lawsuit from Baltimore City on procedural grounds. .
The court has also repeatedly ruled against the Biden administration on energy and environmental issues, particularly mandates for power plants to transition to renewable energy and rules governing interstate air pollution.
Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in deliberations on whether to take up the case. Such denials are not typically explained in court orders, but are likely related to Alito's ownership of oil stocks. The justices similarly did not weigh in on an earlier appeal that the court had rejected.
The court had asked for feedback from the Biden administration before deciding whether to take up the appeal, and the Biden administration had asked the court to dismiss the oil companies' appeals.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) welcomed the move in a statement on Monday. “The people of Honolulu are showing incredible leadership in standing up to powerful fossil fuel companies, whose disinformation campaigns are directly contributing to the climate damage we currently face,” said UCS' Climate Litigation Science Hub. Chief scientist Delta Marner said in a statement. . “Their efforts serve as a powerful example for communities around the world, and this decision is a step in a larger effort to pursue accountability and justice.”
The Hill has reached out to the oil company for comment.
