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U.S. Supreme Court denies oil companies' bid to block Honolulu's climate cases

FILE - A motorist fills up the tank of a sedan, July 22, 2022, in Saratoga, Wyo.
David Zalubowski
/
AP
FILE - A motorist fills up the tank of a sedan, July 22, 2022, in Saratoga, Wyo.

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to step in on a pair of major climate cases brought by the City and County of Honolulu against several oil companies.

The lawsuit accuses the oil companies of deceiving the public about the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court cleared the case to go to trial in October 2023, but the oil companies appealed in the hopes that the U.S. Supreme Court would toss out the case.

The companies include Sunoco, Shell, Chevron, Exxon Mobil and BP, many of which are headquartered in Texas.

Richard Wallsgrove, co-director of the environmental law program at the UH William S. Richardson School of Law, said he believes the highest court made the "right decision" in declining to take up the case.

But he added that since Honolulu's cases are among several lawsuits that different municipalities have brought against the oil industry on similar grounds, he expects the issue may wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court again in the future.

"It probably won't be the last time that the U.S. Supreme Court is asked to take up these cases," he said.

Wallsgrove said this ruling should mean the case can proceed to trial.

The industry has faced a series of cases alleging it deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change, The Associated Press reports. Governments in states including California, Colorado and New Jersey are seeking billions of dollars in damages from things like wildfires, rising sea levels and severe storms.

The lawsuits come during a wave of legal actions in the U.S. and worldwide seeking to leverage action on climate change through the courts.

Savannah Harriman-Pote is the energy and climate change reporter. She is also the lead producer of HPR's "This Is Our Hawaiʻi" podcast. Contact her at sharrimanpote@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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