SCOTUS to Determine Fate of Climate Change Suits in State Courts

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Jan. 19 in a climate change case that has drawn strong interest from the oil and gas industry in its ongoing efforts to keep climate litigation in federal courts, rather than state and local courts.

Titled BP v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, the case was originally brought in state court against 21 oil companies, claiming that the city should be compensated because emissions have caused major damages including flooding. Several other state and municipal governments have launched similar lawsuits.