Hawaii’s First Circuit Court will hear arguments Tuesday for a motion asking for summary judgment in a climate lawsuit filed by the city of Honolulu in 2020. The energy companies targeted in the lawsuit argue in their motion that the statute of limitations makes the plaintiffs’ case unsubstantial.
The plaintiffs’ complaint alleges that fossil fuels are causing “disastrous global warming,” which they claim the energy companies kept from the public. George Mason University law professor Donald Kochan told The Center Square that the motion makes a strong case and could be successful.
As with other critics of the wave of climate litigation hoping to extract billions of dollars from oil companies over alleged damages suffered as a result of climate change, Kochan said Honolulu’s lawsuit punishes people for lawful activities and seeks to create climate policies through the court system. Other critics have pointed out that, should the lawsuits be successful, consumers will ultimately pay the costs of any settlements.
Defendants and critics of these types of lawsuits are hoping the courts will rule against the plaintiffs in these cases, which they argue are filled with meritless claims. But some are concerned that a project by the Environmental Law Institute is biasing some of the judges overseeing the cases against the defendants.
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Author: Ray Hilbrich
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