RismadarVoice Reporters
October 5, 2026
Protesters gathered outside the United States Supreme Court on Monday as justices heard arguments in a major climate case involving ExxonMobil, Suncor Energy and local authorities in Boulder, Colorado.
The case centres on a lawsuit brought by the City of Boulder and Boulder County seeking monetary damages from the two energy companies over alleged climate-related harms.
Boulder authorities accuse ExxonMobil and Suncor of contributing to climate change through their fossil-fuel activities and misleading the public about associated environmental risks.
ExxonMobil and Suncor have challenged the lawsuit, arguing that claims involving interstate and international greenhouse-gas emissions are governed by federal law and should not proceed under Colorado state law.
The companies appealed to the Supreme Court after the Colorado Supreme Court allowed Boulder’s claims to proceed.
During Monday’s arguments, lawyers for the energy companies maintained that allowing individual states and municipalities to pursue such claims could effectively permit state law to regulate conduct with national and international consequences.
Boulder’s lawyers argued that the case concerns traditional state-law claims seeking compensation for alleged injuries suffered within Colorado and should be allowed to proceed.
The case could have broader implications for similar lawsuits filed by state and local governments seeking damages from fossil-fuel companies over the effects of climate change.
Justice Samuel Alito did not participate in the case after recusing himself, leaving eight justices to consider the dispute.
A decision is expected later in the Supreme Court’s current term.
