Supreme Court Declines Oil Companies' Appeal in Honolulu Climate Lawsuit

The decision allows Honolulu's lawsuit accusing major oil companies of climate deception to move forward in state court.

The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from oil companies seeking to block Honolulu's climate lawsuit, which alleges decades of public deception about fossil fuels' environmental impact.
Honolulu's lawsuit, filed in 2020, seeks monetary damages for local climate-related damages, including infrastructure costs caused by rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
The oil companies argued that federal law preempts state-level claims, but the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that the case can proceed under state law, a decision now upheld by the Supreme Court's refusal to intervene.
The Biden administration supported the decision to deny the appeal, while critics claim the lawsuits could disrupt federal energy policy and increase costs for consumers.
This case is part of a broader wave of lawsuits by U.S. states and municipalities aiming to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their role in climate change.