The US Supreme Court issues ruling that could clear the way for cities to hold major corporations accountable — here's how

The U.S. Supreme Court just cleared the way for cities to hold major oil corporations accountable for hiding what their products do to our neighborhoods and bank accounts, CPR News reported.

By refusing to hear challenges to a Honolulu lawsuit against companies in the oil industry, the Supreme Court allowed the case to stay in state court. This means Hawaiʻi can start requesting documents and questioning oil executives under oath about whether they misled the public about their role in heating up the Earth.

The ruling boosts Boulder's similar 2018 case against ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy. Boulder was the first non-coastal community to file such a suit, arguing these companies should help pay for damage from extreme weather. The Marshall Fire destroyed over 1,000 Boulder houses and caused over $2 billion in losses.

"Communities like Boulder are facing significant climate impacts, here and now," said Marco Simons, an attorney representing Boulder County. "We believe that the fossil fuel companies' actions make them legally responsible for at least some of the climate harms facing these communities today."

The case heads to the Colorado Supreme Court next month. If it moves forward, Boulder can join Honolulu in the evidence-gathering phase. This could help towns across America recover money to prepare for and rebuild after severe storms and fires.

"The oil companies were hoping that the Supreme Court would bail them out," Simons said. "The Supreme Court declined to do so, so that was kind of their best shot at this stage to try to get rid of these cases."

For everyday Americans, these lawsuits could mean more funding to protect homes and neighborhoods from extreme weather, paid for by the corporations that knew their products would bring the heat but kept quiet about it. The rulings also signal growing momentum for holding big polluters financially responsible for their impacts on local communities.

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