What’s at stake as Boulder’s climate change lawsuit moves through the courts?

In 2018 the City of Boulder and Boulder County filed an unusual lawsuit: they sued Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy for contributing to climate change.  

Climate change, the lawsuit argued, has caused a plethora of problems like flooding, road damage, and an increase in wildfires. The city and county have spent millions of dollars reacting to these problems.  

And they wanted help paying for it.  

Since the case was filed, more communities around the country have followed Boulder’s lead and brought similar lawsuits against fossil fuel companies. 

Earlier this month, the Colorado Supreme Court held a hearing to determine the fate of this case.  

So, while we await a decision, we wondered: What are the odds of this lawsuit moving forward? And how might it affect other communities dealing with climate change?  

Erin O’Toole spoke with Colorado Sun reporter Parker Yamasaki, who’s been covering the case and the recent hearing, to learn more.

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Host and Producer: Erin O'Toole
Producer: Ariel Lavery
Executive Producer: Brad Turner
 
Theme music by Robbie Reverb
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions
In The NoCo is a production of KUNC News and Community Radio for Northern Colorado.