Plain-English summary
Does federal law block state tort claims over harms from interstate and international greenhouse gases?
The Court will decide whether federal law prevents states from allowing lawsuits that seek money or injunctions for harms allegedly caused by greenhouse-gas emissions that cross state or national borders. The case comes from Colorado, where local governments sued fossil-fuel companies for contributions to climate change.
Why this matters
The decision could determine whether cities and counties can use state courts and state-law claims to seek damages or injunctions from fossil-fuel companies for climate harms tied to emissions that move across state and national borders. A ruling for the companies could limit or block many climate suits; a ruling for the local governments could leave state courts open to large damages or regulatory remedies tied to climate change.
Who may feel it
- Local governments and states bringing climate-related lawsuits
- Fossil-fuel companies and other emitters named in such suits
- Federal and state regulators involved in environmental and energy policy
- Communities, property owners, and insurers facing climate damages
Key questions
- Does federal law preclude state-law claims that seek relief for injuries allegedly caused by the effects of interstate and international greenhouse-gas emissions on the global climate?