Supreme Court to weigh energy companies' bid to end state climate change suits

Politics Supreme Court to weigh bid by energy companies to end state-court climate change suits By Melissa Quinn Melissa Quinn Senior Reporter, Politics Melissa Quinn is a senior reporter for CBSNews.com, where she covers U.S. politics, with a focus on the Supreme Court and federal courts. Read Full Bio Melissa Quinn February 23, 2026 / 9:58 AM EST / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to take up an effort by energy companies to end a lawsuit filed in state court that seeks billions of dollars in damages for the impacts their fossil-fuel products have had on the global climate. The decision from the Supreme Court could impact the ability of state and local governments to hold oil and gas companies accountable in state courts for the consequences of climate change. Dozens of cities and counties have filed similar cases around the country, but the justices had turned down similar disputes that have landed before them . The court will likely hear arguments in its next term, which begins in October. The legal battle was brought by the city of Boulder, Colorado, and Boulder County against Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil Corporation in state court in 2018. Local officials argued that the companies, which produce and sell fossil fuels, contributed to climate change, which in turn harmed Colorado. Boulder officials alleged in their lawsuit that the "unchecked production, promotion, refining, marketing and sale of fossil fuels" around the world led to "unchecked fossil fuel use" and an increased concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, which has then warmed the planet. The effects of climate change, they said, led Boulder to experience more extreme weather events, including heat waves, wildfires, droughts and floods. The city claimed the energy companies violated state law, in part because they altered the climate by selling fossil fuels at levels they know would "bring numerous catastrophic injuries to Colorado." The ...