Supreme Court Allows Honolulu's Lawsuit Seeking Billions for Oil Companies' Deceptive Climate Campaign to Proceed

Jan 13, 2025, 04:04 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear appeals from major oil and gas companies, allowing a lawsuit brought by Honolulu to proceed in state court. The lawsuit accuses the companies of concealing and misrepresenting the impact of their products on climate change, seeking billions of dollars in damages. This decision enables Honolulu to pursue claims under state law against companies such as Sunoco and Shell, among others, for engaging in a deceptive campaign about the environmental impacts of their products. The oil companies had argued that climate change is a federal issue and should be addressed in federal court, but the Hawaii Supreme Court previously allowed the lawsuit to move forward, focusing on the companies' alleged deceptive marketing practices rather than emissions regulation. The decision is seen as a setback for the oil industry, which faces similar lawsuits across the U.S. from state and local governments seeking damages for climate change impacts like wildfires, rising sea levels, and severe storms.