No Escape for Big Oil: US Supreme Court Denies Exxon, Chevron's Climate-Change Case Venue Swap

  • The U.S. Supreme Court reportedly turned away five appeals by Exxon Mobil Corp XOMSuncor Energy Inc SUChevron Corp CVX, and others to move environment-related lawsuits out of state courts and into federal courts.
  • The justices determined that the lawsuits belonged in state court, a more favorable venue to plaintiffs than federal court. 
  • The lawsuits were filed by the state of Rhode Island and municipalities or counties in California, Colorado, Hawaii, and Maryland, accusing the oil companies of worsening climate change.
  • Several state and local governments have pursued litigation against oil companies seeking climate-related damages, Reuters reported. 
  • A separate appeal filed by the oil companies challenging lower court decisions in cases out of New Jersey and Delaware is still pending before the Supreme Court.
  • Theodore Boutrous, an attorney for Chevron, expressed confidence that the cases would be dismissed in state court. Boutrous said the lawsuits are a "national and global magnitude" issue requiring a coordinated federal response, "not a disjointed patchwork" of actions from numerous state courts.
  • "These wasteful lawsuits in state courts will do nothing to advance global climate solutions, nothing to reduce emissions, and nothing to address climate-related impacts," Boutrous added.
  • Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said his state is preparing for trial after "nearly a half-decade of delay tactics" from the oil companies. The Supreme Court's action "marks an important milestone," Neronha added.
  • President Joe Biden's administration in March urged the justices not to take up the appeal by Exxon and Suncor, arguing that no federal questions had been raised.
  • Photo by Eveline de Bruin via Pixabay
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