Supreme Court will hear Big Oil’s attempt to block lawsuits seeking to hold it liable for climate change
Fortune
by Lindsay Whitehurst, The Associated PressFebruary 23, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case involving oil and gas companies' efforts to block lawsuits seeking to hold them liable for climate change-related damages. The court will consider whether state courts can address claims that these companies misled the public about fossil fuels' impact on global warming. This decision could have far-reaching implications for similar lawsuits across the country, potentially shaping how climate change liability is addressed in U.S. courts.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed in Boulder County, Colorado, which alleges that companies like ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy misled the public about the dangers of fossil fuels. Plaintiffs argue that these actions contributed to severe climate impacts, such as wildfires and rising sea levels, which have cost local governments billions in damages. While state courts initially allowed the case to proceed, the oil companies argued that such issues should be handled by federal courts, where previous cases involving climate change liability have often been dismissed.
The Trump administration supported the oil companies' appeal, warning that allowing state-level lawsuits could lead to a flood of litigation against any entity contributing to global climate change. The administration argued that addressing such broad issues belongs to federal authorities rather than individual states. Meanwhile, Boulder County's attorneys countered that states should be able to address harm caused by out-of-state conduct, citing examples like product liability cases involving cars or asbestos.
The Supreme Court’s decision to take up the case could set a legal precedent for how climate change-related lawsuits are handled nationwide. If the court sides with the oil companies, it
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Originally published on Fortune on 2/23/2026