Hawaii Attorney General and Cities Sue Oil Companies Over Climate Claims

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez along with Honolulu and Maui filed lawsuits against oil and gas companies seeking damages for alleged climate-related harms. The suits seek billions of dollars and target companies that supply fuel to the state. The cases exclude Par Pacific and its subsidiary Par Hawaii, the state's sole refinery and main supplier of gasoline and jet fuel.

Campaign finance records show Par Pacific executives have donated to state Democratic leaders including Gov. Josh Green.

Supreme Court justices participated in events hosted by the Environmental Law Institute and its Climate Judiciary Project. Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald directed a clerk to assist an expert retained by the climate plaintiffs and authored the court's opinion that allowed the Honolulu case to proceed.

A lower state court has permitted plaintiffs to seek 75 years of documents from energy companies through discovery. The court-appointed special master ordered production of records related to the production and sale of energy products worldwide.

Pending Federal Review The U.S. Supreme Court is considering Suncor Energy v.

Boulder County, which addresses whether state tort claims for global climate change belong in federal or federal court. Courts in California and New Jersey have paused similar cases while the federal question is pending.