WASHINGTON—Oil companies seeking to avoid lawsuits over climate change faced skeptical questions Monday at the Supreme Court, with several justices expressing doubts about the industry’s campaign to shut down dozens of cases brought by state and local governments.
On the first day of the court’s new term, the justices debated whether communities can sue energy giants for billions of dollars to pay for local harms allegedly caused by extreme weather events that scientists say are tied to the worldwide burning of fossil fuels. Justices across the ideological spectrum noted that state-based lawsuits are routinely used to target activities with widespread effects, such as the marketing of tobacco, the manufacture of asbestos or the production of defective automobiles.
Supreme Court Questions Oil Companies’ Bid to Shut Down Climate Lawsuits
