Supreme Court tof the United States in Washington, DC.

Supreme Court declines to intervene in key environmental and climate disputes

The Supreme Court rejected requests to hear cases on climate lawsuits against oil companies, federal land control in Utah, offshore wind farm impacts and interstate air pollution rules.

Lesley Clark, Scott Streater and Pamela King report for E&E News.


In short:

  • The Supreme Court will not review a Hawaii ruling that allows state-level lawsuits holding oil companies accountable for climate impacts, opening the door for dozens of similar cases to proceed.
  • Utah’s bid to take control of millions of acres of federal land was denied, maintaining the Bureau of Land Management's authority.
  • Efforts to halt the Vineyard Wind project over endangered whale concerns were dismissed, enabling continued offshore wind development along the East Coast.

Key quote:

The justices’ move “upholds our right to enforce Hawaiʻi laws in Hawaiʻi courts, ensuring the protection of Hawaiʻi taxpayers and communities from the immense costs and consequences of the climate crisis caused by the defendants’ misconduct.”

— Ben Sullivan, executive director and chief resilience officer for Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency

Why this matters:

By rejecting these cases, the court has left states and localities free to pursue legal actions against major polluters. These disputes could reshape accountability for climate damages, determine land use rights and influence the future of renewable energy projects.

Related: Industries lobby Supreme Court to limit government regulation

Old rusty oil pump in a green field.

Trump freezes federal funds for abandoned oil well cleanup, leaving states in limbo

President Trump has halted a $4.7 billion federal program to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells, putting state-level efforts to reduce pollution and methane emissions on hold.

Nick Bowlin reports for High Country News.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Environmentalists are struggling, but their struggle isn’t unique to the Trump administration

Environmentalists are struggling, but their struggle isn’t unique to the Trump administration

It’s a difficult time to be an environmental advocate. On his first day as president, Trump reversed most of the Biden administration’s climate policies with a series of executive orders. Since then, the administration has frozen funding for clean energy projects and community climate grants, and put most of the U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency’s office of environmental justice staff on administrative leave, and rolled back key environmental protections.
Keep reading...Show less
lightning strike against dark blue sky.

Trump blocks funding for science agencies, risking AI and weather research

More than $300 million in federal science funds are in limbo after President Donald Trump rejected parts of a bipartisan emergency spending package, sparking legal concerns from both parties.

Andres Picon reports for E&E News.

Keep reading...Show less
Dry landscape with green trees in the background.

Earth is losing land water fast — and it’s changing sea levels and the planet’s spin

Water loss from Earth’s soil and land surfaces has surged since the early 2000s, with a new study finding this global shift is accelerating sea-level rise and even altering the planet’s rotation.

Kasha Patel reports for The Washington Post

Keep reading...Show less
Black and white photo of ice melting.

Global sea ice reaches record low as Earth's poles continue to warm

The planet's sea ice has shrunk to its lowest recorded level in March, a sign of accelerating global warming driven by fossil fuel emissions.

Austyn Gaffney reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
A factory with smoke billowing out of its stacks with a wind turbine in the foreground.

UK sees 4% drop in carbon emissions as gas and coal use declines

The United Kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped 4% in 2024, driven by lower fossil fuel use in power generation and industry, according to new government data.

Damien Gayle reports for The Guardian.

Keep reading...Show less
A black and white photo of the supreme court

Young plaintiffs in Juliana v. United States lose Supreme Court bid but say they'll continue their pursuit of climate justice

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a landmark climate lawsuit brought by 21 young Americans, ending a decade-long legal effort to hold the federal government accountable for its fossil fuel policies. But the case continues to have impact.

Amy Green reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.