US Supreme Court makes landmark decision that could allow states to hold major industry accountable: 'The stakes could not be higher'

The L.A. Times reported big news last month from the Supreme Court concerning cases brought by states, including California and Hawaiʻi, against the oil industry.

The case the Supreme Court ruled on was brought by Honolulu (Sunoco vs. Honolulu), which sued 15 oil companies five years ago. These companies appealed the suit to the Supreme Court, imploring the justices to intervene as they argued this suit and other similar suits brought by individual states should be a matter of federal law rather than state law.

According to the L.A. Times, the companies told the court, "The stakes could not be higher."

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However, the court turned down the appeals and refused to block the lawsuits.

This is welcome news for Honolulu and the other states suing these companies, as their lawsuits can continue to move forward in state courts. Now, these states will have a better opportunity to prove their claim that the oil industry was perfectly aware of the damage that burning dirty energy could cause but chose to hide this fact.

The L.A. Times reported that the president of the Center for Climate Integrity stated, "With this latest denial, the fossil fuel industry's worst nightmare — having to face the overwhelming evidence of their decades of calculated climate deception — is closer than ever to becoming a reality."

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Though this ruling is beneficial for all the states involved in these lawsuits, it is significant for California in light of the recent and tragic L.A. wildfires, which have been attributed to changes in the climate. California brought a lawsuit against five major companies in the oil industry two years ago for the "decades-long campaign of deception" that has resulted in multiple climate-related disasters in the state.

As it stands now, the states' cases can continue under state law, which allows plaintiffs to seek damages for broader claims, as opposed to federal law, which limits damage claims to those with Congressional authorization. This makes the odds better for other states wishing to create their own lawsuits against the oil industry.

It also means everyday Americans will finally be able to hold the oil industry responsible for its role in creating an overheating planet and the climate disasters that have resulted from this overheating, with advocates hoping for less pollution and better protections for communities.