Supreme Court Rejects Oil Companies' Appeals in Climate Litigation

The US Supreme Court has rejected appeals by oil companies including BP, Chevron and Shell to have lawsuits brought by municipalities over climate change heard in federal court rather than state court. The decision means the cases can proceed in state courts, where plaintiffs are seen as having a better chance of winning damage awards. The municipalities argue they have been harmed by the effects of climate change caused by carbon emissions that the oil companies are heavily responsible for. Business groups expressed disappointment, with one lawyer saying climate issues should be dealt with at the national or international level.