For years, cities, counties, and states have tried to hold major oil and gas companies financially responsible for the costs of climate change. These lawsuits argue that energy producers knowingly contributed to global warming while concealing the dangers of their products. The legal strategy has faced an uncertain path through state and federal courts, with companies arguing that such claims are a matter for national policy, not local litigation. This wave of litigation now reaches the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide whether these cases can proceed in state courts.

The push for climate accountability extends beyond lawsuits, as some states have enacted laws modeled on the federal Superfund program to make fossil fuel companies pay for climate-related damages. New York's climate superfund law, signed in 2024, sought $75 billion from companies to fund recovery and infrastructure projects. However, federal courts have blocked this law, ruling it is preempted by the Clean Air Act. These legal setbacks and the pending Supreme Court case highlight the ongoing struggle over how to address climate liability in the United States.