US Supreme Court rejects bid by oil companies to toss Honolulu's climate suit

14/1/2025 6:35

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a bid by Sunoco and other oil companies to scuttle a lawsuit by Honolulu accusing them of misleading the public for decades about the dangers of climate change induced by the burning of fossil fuels.



The justices turned away an appeal by the oil companies of a decision by Hawaii's top court allowing the suit, which alleged violations of state law, to proceed. Other defendants in the lawsuit include Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, BHP Group, Marathon Petroleum and Chevron.



The suit was filed in 2020 by the city and county of Honolulu and the Honolulu Board of Water Supply, a semi-autonomous city agency. The plaintiffs said misleading statements made by the companies about the impact of their fossil fuel products paved the way for property and infrastructure damage caused by human-induced climate change.