The Supreme Court is scheduled to open its new term Monday with arguments over whether oil and gas companies can be held liable for damages linked to climate change. The federal-state environmental dispute will be the court’s first case heard from the bench, Fox News reported.
The Los Angeles Times said the case concerns claims that the industry could be required to pay for harms including heat waves, wildfires and droughts attributed to climate change. It said California joined more than two dozen Democratic-led states and municipalities in 2023 in suing five major oil companies. California Attorney General Rob Bonta alleged the companies had known about climate-warming risks for decades. The Washington Post reported that Boulder, Colorado, hopes its lawsuit could produce damages or settlements similar to litigation against tobacco and opioid companies.