High court denies energy companies’ appeals in climate suits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected appeals from oil and gas companies that are fighting lawsuits from state and local governments over whether they can be held responsible for harms resulting from global warming. The justices handed the companies a setback Monday in their legal fight with city, county and state governments that want the cases to be heard in state courts, where both sides agree the governments stand a better chance of winning large damage awards. Monday’s orders from the high court affected cases from California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland and Rhode Island. Similar suits are pending in other states claiming that oil and gas produced by the companies led to greenhouse gas emissions, which contributed to climate change and caused harm locally.