Exxon Mobil is launching the latest effort to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to take up lawsuits by local governments that are suing the fossil fuel industry for the costs of dealing with climate change.
The oil and gas giant along with Suncor Energy filed a petition with the high court Friday, asking it to review a Colorado Supreme Court decision that allowed a climate lawsuit brought against the companies by a local city and county to proceed to state court.
The petition argues that climate change is a federal issue and that by reviewing the Colorado decision, the U.S. Supreme Court could determine whether dozens of similar lawsuits filed in state courts should be heard in federal court, where the industry believes it has a legal advantage. It urges the U.S. Supreme Court “to do so before the energy industry is threatened with potentially enormous judgments.”
The city and county of Boulder, located outside Denver in the Rocky Mountain foothills, sued Exxon and Suncor in 2018. The lawsuit — like several dozen across the U.S. — accuses the companies of deceiving the public about the dangers of burning fossil fuels and seeks compensation for the costs of rising temperatures and intensifying storms.
