Hawaii’s top court has declared greenhouse gas emissions to be pollutants, a decision that could have repercussions for the oil and gas industry and insurers in climate lawsuits across the country.
The ruling last week is a preliminary win for two subsidiaries of insurance giant AIG that face legal claims from Aloha Petroleum for failing to honor their obligations to cover the costs the company faces to defend itself against two climate change lawsuits.
“This is not a personal injury case,” Judge Todd Eddins wrote for the Hawaii Supreme Court. “Rather, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the most consequential environmental pollution issue our species has faced.”
Aloha, a subsidiary Sunoco that markets gasoline and operates convenience stores across Hawaii, is one of several companies named in a pair of lawsuits filed by local officials that seek payment for the cost of dealing with climate change.
