{
  "id": 12350874,
  "title": "The Supreme Court takes up climate costs. CEOs should worry about the cost of doing nothing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/the-supreme-court-takes-up-climate-costs-ceos-should-worry-about-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-06T09:43:17.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/06/supreme-court-climate-change-cost-ceos-doing-nothing/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court opened its new term on Monday with a case that could decide whether state and local governments can hold corporations accountable for climate change costs. In the Suncor Energy, Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County case, Boulder County is suing ExxonMobil and Canadian oil company Suncor for allegedly downplaying the risks associated with their products. The question at hand: Does federal law bar states from suing oil companies for global climate damage through their own statutes? Justice Samuel Alito skipped the case, possibly due to his financial ties to oil and gas companies.\n\nThe real concern for CEOs isn't the legal one; it's the financial impact of inaction. The Trump administration's executive orders, reversals, lawsuits, and targeted attacks on companies with ESG goals have made leaders hesitant to address climate change. Climate Week NYC saw little discussion about the topic this year. Even ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods acknowledged that they've waited too long to address emission reduction. Patagonia's CEO, Ryan Gellert, launched the 11.2 Million Vote Project, offering $100 credits to voters who encourage others to cast ballots in the midterms. The initiative reached its goal in just four days.\n\nThe public is increasingly worried about global warming, as recent surveys show two-thirds of Americans are concerned. The Equinox newsletter from economist Spencer Glendon of Probable Futures offers insights on how to tackle the issue. While the Court's decision will determine who pays for climate damage, it won't alter the necessity of taking action.",
  "summary": "Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}