Alito recuses from major climate change case to be decided by the Supreme Court

September 28, 2026 / 3:35 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — Justice Samuel Alito will no longer participate in a major climate change case involving two large energy companies, according to a letter from the Supreme Court that was sent Monday.

The one-line letter signed by Scott Harris, the Supreme Court's clerk, and sent to the lawyers involved in the dispute states that Alito "has determined that he will not continue to participate in this case." No reason for Alito's decision to sit out was provided, but it is likely because the justice has stock holdings in oil and gas companies, according to his financial disclosure report for 2025.

Alito's decision to recuse himself comes one week before the Supreme Court will begin its new term with arguments in the dispute between Suncor Energy and Exxon Mobil and Boulder, Colorado.

The city and county of Boulder sued the two companies in Colorado state court in 2018, arguing that their conduct contributed to global climate change. The city and county say Exxon Mobil and Suncor engaged in "unchecked production, promotion, refining, marketing and sale of fossil fuels," and concealed or misrepresented the dangers associated with fossil fuels' intended use, leading…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/