Over the past several years, dozens of cities and states have sued big oil companies, seeking to hold the producers of fossil fuels accountable for their role in causing climate change.
But this week, a closely watched case out of Hawaii took what could be a pivotal step toward the Supreme Court and have a cascading effect on the legal fight to hold fossil fuel companies accountable.
The case was brought by the city of Honolulu against Sunoco and other big oil companies in 2020.
Last year, the Hawaii state supreme court ruled the case could go to trial.
But a coalition of energy firms, including ExxonMobil and Chevron, appealed that decision, asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the case from moving forward.
Organizations:
Exxon, Chevron, Supreme, ExxonMobil, U.S
Locations:
Hawaii, Honolulu, Sunoco