"Colorado top court allows Boulder to sue Exxon, Suncor over climate change", 12 May 2025

Colorado’s highest court on Monday rejected efforts by Exxon Mobil... and Suncor Energy... to dismiss a lawsuit by the city of Boulder seeking to hold the fossil fuel companies responsible for climate change.

The Colorado Supreme Court in a 5-2 decision said federal law did not block Boulder and its surrounding county from claiming that the energy companies violated state law by misleading the public about the dangers associated with fossil fuels.

The ruling marked only the second time a state supreme court has allowed one of the numerous lawsuits by state and local governments against major energy companies over climate change to move forward in the years-long litigation.

The Hawaii Supreme Court allowed a similar lawsuit by Honolulu to move forward against Exxon, Sunoco and several other companies in a decision that the U.S. Supreme Court in January declined to review.

"This ruling affirms what we’ve known all along: corporations cannot mislead the public and avoid accountability for the damages they have caused," Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett said in a statement.

Exxon in a statement said it would continue to fight Boulder’s claims. "We’ve maintained from the beginning this case is meritless and has no place before a state court," the company said.

Suncor did not respond to a request for comment.

Boulder sued in 2018, alleging the companies violated various state laws and created a public and private nuisance by misleading the public about the role their fossil fuel products played in exacerbating climate change.

Boulder argues they should be forced to pay for the costs it will incur to protect its community from climate change.

The companies deny wrongdoing...