AXIOS (Ben Geman) - What to watch in the Supreme Court's big climate case
The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a case that could determine the fate of state-court lawsuits nationwide seeking climate damages from oil giants. Why it matters: Billions and billions of dollars are at stake for the oil industry in dozens of cases brought by state and local governments. - Governments face mounting costs from climate change that litigants link directly to the companies' products. The big picture: SCOTUS is considering whether federal law blocks damage claims under state laws for the effects of interstate and global emissions. State of play: It's specifically about litigation against Exxon and Suncor that the city and county of Boulder filed in 2018. - But dozens of state-court cases are active in…
How might a ruling in favor of oil companies impact state-level climate policies like those in New York and Vermont?
A ruling in favor of the oil companies could jeopardize separate state climate policies, specifically "climate superfund" laws in New York and Vermont that assess damages against fossil fuel companies to fund climate adaptation.
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What jurisdictional question must the Supreme Court address before deciding on federal preemption?
The Court is considering whether it has jurisdiction to review a Colorado Supreme Court decision that allowed the Boulder case to proceed in state court.
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Which states currently have active state-court cases against oil companies according to the report?
Active cases are located in California, Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and other locations.
Q&A ID 9730667f-ee07-4d9e-813e-27058fc22870
What are the central accusations made by litigants in the various state-court cases against oil companies?
The cases generally accuse oil giants of concealing risks or making deceptive statements, and they seek damages for climate-related costs.
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