In 2018, the Boulder City and Boulder County communities formed to file a lawsuit against the oil companies of Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy. The local government demanded retribution from the companies for contributing to climate change and climate damage, which is estimated to cost Colorado $37 billion in 2026. Colorado is one of the fastest warming states in the country—it is at risk of drought due to lowering snowfall and extreme heat.
Their lawsuit is addressed as “climate accountability,” for knowingly contributing to climate change while dismissing the threats and danger their products contain. About fifty years ago, energy companies were made aware of scientific research that proved correlations between burning fossil fuels and global warming. Despite this knowledge, the companies disregarded the research and continued to pump chemicals into the air in increasing amounts over the decades.
Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy fought against the lawsuit when it reached the Colorado Supreme Court, claiming that the lawsuit is a federal issue since air pollution crosses state lines (and that air pollution is monitored by the federal Clean Air Act). An appeal to the Supreme Court by the energy companies in May 2025 reopened the issue. On Feb. 23rd, the Supreme Court agreed to review the case for the fall session.
While this case will not end the climate crisis, it can certainly steer policy in the right direction. Those of us fighting climate change are often halted by Big Oil and their overarching power in the government and daily life. Despite the Supreme Court not holding a great track record in supporting environmental causes (the Supreme Court ruled in favor of oil companies), if the court rules in favor of Boulder, it could set a precedent that would require energy companies to be accountable for climate damage. There are numerous lawsuits across the nation against companies from the states of Hawaii, New York, California, and several more.
Why should these companies be held liable? In Boulder, residents are facing rising costs and water shortages due to climate change. These companies share an enormous responsibility in the climate crisis but are deciding to downplay their own impacts and lobby politicians to vote in their favor. Producers are also liable for any damage that their products cause.
So why should we care? As the climate crisis worsens, any step towards progress is a win for the planet. We can be conscious of our individual impacts, but unfortunately a lot of it is offset by carbon emissions from companies like Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy. In a perfect world, we would be able to completely reject the use of fossil fuels; however, for now we continue to rely on fossil fuels in our daily lives.
Iliana Martinez
Staff Reporter
