State Climate Change Tort Tracker

Dozens of state, local and tribal governments have filed lawsuits accusing fossil fuel companies of concealing the climate change risks of their products and are seeking to put companies on the hook for climate-related infrastructure damages.


 State court has issued a ruling post-remand   State court case ongoing, no initial ruling yet   Currently in federal court 
State Case Claims asserted Status Latest Law360 coverage
--Graphics by Ben Jay

NEWS & ANALYSIS


9th Circ. Won't Recharge Kids' Suit Over Trump's Energy EOs

June 02, 2026

By Rachel Riley

A Ninth Circuit panel refused Tuesday to revive a group of youths' legal challenge of President Donald Trump's executive orders spurring the use of fossil fuels to meet the country's energy needs, concluding the plaintiffs "can only speculate" that the orders will trigger agency decisions that ultimately intensify climate change.

Minn. Wants 'Egregious' DOJ Bid To Nix Climate Suit Tossed

June 01, 2026

By Tom Lotshaw

Minnesota has told a federal judge the Trump administration recycled absurd standing theories rejected in other cases to support an "egregious" attempt to block the state's six-year-old consumer deception lawsuit against fossil fuel entities.

States Tell Justices Colo. Climate Suit Threatens Sovereignty

May 22, 2026

By Elaine Briseño

Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania and 23 other states urged the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that allowed local communities to pursue climate change damages under state law, arguing it jeopardizes states' constitutional right to govern themselves.

High Court Must End Colo. Climate Suit, Oil Cos. Say

May 14, 2026

By Ganesh Setty

Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil urged the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday to reverse a Colorado Supreme Court ruling allowing local communities to pursue state law tort claims for climate change damages, arguing their claims are "avowedly interstate and international in scope."

Judge Won't Pause Hawaii Climate Suit For High Court Review

May 07, 2026

By Elaine Briseño

A Hawaii state judge refused to pause Honolulu's climate change lawsuit against fossil fuel companies while the U.S. Supreme Court deliberates the future of a similar case lodged by Boulder, Colorado, saying the case is not federally preempted.

Feds Say Minn.'s State Suit Usurps Climate Regulator Role

May 04, 2026

By Gautama Mehta

The federal government moved to halt Minnesota's state court lawsuit accusing Exxon Mobil Corp. and others of lying to the public about fossil fuels' effects on climate, alleging in a new lawsuit on Monday that the state is usurping federal authority.

Oil Giants Say Mich. AG's Climate Antitrust Suit Is DOA

May 04, 2026

By Keith Goldberg

Global oil giants and an industry group have said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has no basis to allege they conspired to restrict renewable energy and delay the transition away from fossil fuels in violation of federal antitrust laws.

Wash. Tribes Beat Big Oil's Bid To Dismiss Climate Suits

April 30, 2026

By Ben Adlin

A Washington state judge refused on Wednesday to dismiss two Native American tribes' lawsuits accusing ExxonMobil, Chevron and other major oil companies of concealing climate change risks related to fossil fuels, rejecting the companies' arguments that federal law blocks the tribes' claims.

Justices Give Tort Defendants Tool To Get To Federal Court

April 24, 2026

By Gautama Mehta

The high court's recent decision letting Chevron move a state court lawsuit to federal court has raised questions about the newly expanded scope of a statute permitting such transfers, when allegations are tied to work for the federal government.

Feds Can't Block Hawaii's Suit Against Oil, Gas Companies

April 16, 2026

By Mike Curley

A Hawaii federal judge has dismissed with prejudice a suit from the U.S. government aiming to block the state from suing oil and gas companies on climate change-related claims, finding the government's complaint fails to establish any of the elements of standing.

NY Appeals Panel Doubts NYC's Climate Suit Can Be Revived

April 15, 2026

By Frank G. Runyeon

New York state appeals judges voiced skepticism Wednesday of New York City's bid to revive its lawsuit against major energy companies for "greenwashing" their gasoline products, highlighting the lack of alleged false claims and questioning whether they were even misleading.

Judge Ices Calif. Climate Suit As Justices Mull Boulder Case

April 15, 2026

By Tom Lotshaw

A California state court judge has put on hold coordinated climate litigation that state and local governments have filed against oil and gas companies while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a similar case brought by the city and county of Boulder, Colorado.

Exxon Can't Halt Heat Death Suit Ahead Of Climate Tort Ruling

April 13, 2026

By Rachel Riley

A Washington state court judge has denied an attempt by Exxon and other major oil and gas producers to pause a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over a 2021 Seattle heat wave death until the U.S. Supreme Court decides on the viability of climate torts in a Colorado case.

9th Circ. Axes Kids' 'Sprawling And Speculative' Climate Suit

April 09, 2026

By Dorothy Atkins

A Ninth Circuit panel affirmed Thursday tossing youths' lawsuit alleging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's greenhouse gas "discount" program discriminates against children by favoring present-day consumption over future consumption, finding the kids' "sprawling and speculative causal theory" of alleged environmental harms aren't traceable to the government's policies.

Md. Supreme Court Nixes Climate Torts Against Energy Cos.

March 24, 2026

By Keith Goldberg

Maryland's highest court on Tuesday dismissed climate change lawsuits brought by local governments against fossil fuel companies, saying that state law can't be used to impose liability for global greenhouse gas pollution.

Exxon's Bid To Pause Tribes' Climate Suit Met With Skepticism

February 27, 2026

By Rachel Riley

A Washington state judge expressed reluctance on Friday to grant Exxon and other oil giants' request to pause two tribal lawsuits alleging a decades-long campaign to downplay the harm of fossil fuels until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on the viability of climate torts in a Colorado case.

High Court Crafts Escape Hatch In Review Of Climate Torts

February 23, 2026

By Keith Goldberg

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to determine whether a climate change lawsuit against fossil fuel companies can proceed in state court, but the justices also created a potential off-ramp by questioning whether they can actually hear the case.

Justices Will Mull Future Of State Climate Torts

February 23, 2026

By Keith Goldberg

The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to determine the future of climate change tort litigation brought by state and local governments against fossil fuel companies, agreeing Monday to review whether a lawsuit against Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy can proceed in state court.

'Conjecture' Frees Duke Energy From Climate Change Suit

February 13, 2026

By Abigail Harrison

Duke Energy Corporation was freed from a North Carolina town's novel lawsuit seeking to hold the utility accountable for climate change-related damages after a North Carolina Business Court judge ruled it presented questions that would force a jury into "utter conjecture."

Exxon, Shell Say Oil Cos. Can't Be Sued For Wash. Heat Death

February 04, 2026

By Rachel Riley

Fossil fuel giants including Exxon Mobil and Shell pressed a Washington state judge Tuesday to toss a first-of-its-kind lawsuit over a 2021 Seattle heat wave death, saying the plaintiff family cannot use Evergreen State law to extract damages from oil corporations for harm allegedly caused by more than a century of global greenhouse gas emissions.