Climate cases against fossil fuel companies, which have been stalled for years by jurisdictional conflicts, are expected to gain traction as a result of a US Supreme Court decision this week.
The decision was made after a record-breaking year for international climate litigation in 2022 and before significant climate judgements that are anticipated from international courts in the coming months.
On Monday, justices at the US Supreme Court rejected challenges from five significant oil companies, paving the way for communities to initiate legal actions to hold energy giants liable for climate change.
The lawsuits now need to be heard in state courts, which are sometimes thought to be more accommodating to plaintiffs than federal court.
After years of administrative fighting over the cases filed in Rhode Island, California, Colorado, Hawaii, and Maryland seeking damages due to climate change against Exxon Mobil Corp, Suncor Energy Inc, Chevron Corp, and others, the ruling was welcomed as excellent news by environmentalists.
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Reacting to the development, the President of the Washington DC-based Center for Climate Integrity, Richard Wiles, said: “These lawsuits have been bogged down in jurisdictional disputes because of the fossil fuel industry’s delay tactics.”
“Now, thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision, there is a clear path forward. This was a major step forward for communities that have been fighting for years to put oil companies on trial.”
On her part, Climate and Energy Program Director at the Center for International Environment Law (CIEL), Nikki Reisch, said: “The decision allows the more than two dozen cases filed in the US against the oil and gas industry to proceed in state courts, closer to where climate impacts are occurring.
“It clears the way for aggrieved communities to finally have their day in court.”
Story was adapted from France24
