Supreme Court asked to review oil giants’ appeal in Colorado climate lawsuit

Hold onto your hats, folks — Big Oil is knocking on the U.S. Supreme Court’s door, hoping to dodge a legal storm brewed by Boulder, Colorado, over climate change claims, as Just the News reports.

In a nutshell, Boulder’s city and county are suing oil titans like Sunoco Energy Inc. and ExxonMobil Corporation for damages tied to extreme weather, alleging these companies fueled the crisis while misleading the public about its dangers.

Back in 2019, Boulder threw down the gauntlet, filing a lawsuit against major oil companies for the havoc they claim fossil fuel emissions have wrought on their community.

Boulder’s bold stand against fossil fuels

Not content with just pointing fingers, Boulder’s suit accuses these corporations of deceiving folks about climate risks, a charge that’s got the energy giants sweating under their collars.

The oil companies pushed back hard, asking the Colorado Supreme Court to toss the case out, arguing it’s not the state’s place to meddle in such sprawling, interstate pollution disputes.

But in May 2025, the Colorado justices said “not so fast,” ruling that Boulder’s lawsuit could move forward, much to the chagrin of the energy execs.

Oil companies seek SCOTUS shield

Now, Sunoco and ExxonMobil have escalated the fight, petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to step in, claiming, “This case presents whether… state-law claims… preclude nationwide climate-change litigation.”

Well, isn’t that a fancy way of saying, “We don’t think Colorado gets to play judge on global emissions”? Their argument hinges on the Constitution not allowing state laws to tackle out-of-state pollution, but let’s see if the high court buys it.

This isn’t their first rodeo — last year, these same companies tried a similar plea in a Honolulu, Hawaii, climate case, only to have the Supreme Court decline to hear it, leaving them to stew in state court battles.

State courts split on climate cases

Speaking of state courts, the landscape is a mixed bag — since the Honolulu snub, courts in places like New Jersey, Delaware, and parts of Maryland have either dismissed or curbed these climate lawsuits, showing not everyone’s on Boulder’s bandwagon.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Douglas Hurd put it bluntly, saying the federal system doesn’t let states overreach on “injuries allegedly caused by… worldwide emissions,” a jab at the scope of these local claims.

Yet, Boulder persists, one of the earliest to jump into this legal fray, driven by a city council with a fierce anti-fossil fuel streak — think bans on natural gas in new buildings and sky-high emissions reduction goals like net-zero by 2035.

Boulder’s green dreams vs. reality

Let’s not forget, Boulder’s pushing to slash emissions by 70% from 2018 levels and go carbon positive by 2040, all while still relying on the very oil products over which they are suing — talk about a paradox.

Last year, Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-WY) threw a witty curveball, suggesting Boulder go full fossil-fuel-free by ditching gas stations and asphalt roads, to which Councilman Mark Wallach retorted, “Ridiculous,” admitting they’re not ready to abandon all fossil fuels just yet.

Turns out, preaching green is easier than living it, but Boulder’s lawsuit rolls on, a test case in a nation divided over how to hold energy giants accountable without tripping over federal-state legal lines. While the Supreme Court mulls this — and considers input like the former Biden administration’s nudge to let state courts handle it first, as Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar advised in December 2024 — this clash could set a precedent for climate litigation everywhere.