US Supreme Court opens new term with high-stakes big oil bid to toss climate suits

The U.S. Supreme Court opened its new term with high-stakes oral arguments in a pivotal legal battle that could determine whether energy companies can be held liable under state laws for the global costs of climate change.

As reported, the court begins its new nine-month term on Monday with arguments in a major case involving a bid by oil companies ExxonMobil, and Suncor Energy, to scuttle a lawsuit by officials in Boulder, Colorado, seeking monetary damages for harms caused by climate change.

At the center of the docket is a closely watched case involving major fossil fuel producers and local governments in Colorado, which serves as a test case for dozens of similar lawsuits nationwide.

It is the first of several important cases already teed up for the term, with disputes involving issues such as President Donald Trump's immigration policies and state-level bans on assault-style rifles to be heard in the coming months.

The court's 6-3 conservative majority has moved US law dramatically rightward in recent years.

US-based Exxon and Canada-based Suncor appealed after the Colorado Supreme Court let Boulder's lawsuit accusing them of state law violations proceed.

The Trump administration has backed Exxon and Suncor, arguing that federal law precludes Boulder's claims.

Boulder's city and county governments have accused the two companies of helping drive climate change and misleading the public about the risks of fossil fuels.

Boulder aims to hold the companies liable for past and future costs associated with climate change such as infrastructure repairs, environmental damage, emergency management and harms to public health.

The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, trapping heat and raising average global temperatures over time.

Nearly 60 state and local governments have brought similar suits seeking billions of dollars from fossil fuel companies, with more continuing to be filed, Exxon and Suncor told the justices.

A ruling by the Supreme Court in favor of the companies could lead to many of those cases being dismissed.