Justice Alito recuses himself from major climate change case after complaints about his oil and gas holdings

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Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito announced Monday that he will recuse himself from a major climate change-related case the court is set to hear next week, following weeks of pressure from environmental groups that argued he was compromised by his financial holdings in the oil and gas industry.

In a brief letter sent to the parties in the case, the Supreme Court’s clerk wrote that the conservative justice had “determined that he will not continue to participate in this case,” but did not offer further explanation for the decision.

The climate issue will be the first case argued at the Supreme Court as it opens its new term next Monday. It deals with whether Boulder, Colorado, may sue Suncor Energy and Exxon Mobil for damages caused by climate change, or whether state tort laws are preempted by federal law and separation of powers principles in the Constitution.

The court’s decision in that case could have broad implications for numerous other lawsuits filed by state and local governments seeking billions of dollars in damages for climate change.

It’s not clear whether Alito’s recusal will have a significant impact on the outcome of the case.

The 6-3 conservative Supreme Court has often divided in preemption cases in ways that don’t line up with traditional conservative-liberal positions. At the same time, the court has repeatedly ruled against environmental interests in recent years.

Alito’s decision is a stark development given the timing and the growing calls on the left for him to step down. The justice’s recent financial disclosure report showed that he held stock in ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, among other energy holdings.

The decision also appears to represent an about-face from earlier this year, when a Supreme Court spokesperson told NBC News that Alito did not have to recuse from the case because he did not have a financial interest in any of the companies that are parties to it. “His recusal is not required,” the spokesperson told NBC in May .

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最高法院大法官塞缪尔·阿利托周一宣布，他将回避下周法院将审理的一起与气候变化相关的重大案件。此前数周，环保组织一直向他施压，认为他因在石油和天然气行业的金融投资而受到牵连。

最高法院书记员在一封发给案件各方的简短信函中写道，这位保守派大法官“已决定不再参与此案”，但没有对这一决定做出进一步解释。

气候问题将成为最高法院下周一新任期开始后审理的首个案件。该案涉及科罗拉多州博尔德市是否可以就气候变化造成的损失起诉森科能源公司和埃克森美孚公司，或者州侵权法是否被联邦法律和宪法中的权力分立原则所取代。

该案的判决可能会对州和地方政府提起的众多其他诉讼产生广泛影响，这些诉讼旨在寻求数十亿美元的气候变化赔偿。

目前尚不清楚阿利托的回避是否会对案件结果产生重大影响。

最高法院由6名保守派和3名自由派组成，在先占权案件中，其判决结果往往与传统的保守派和自由派立场并不一致。与此同时，近年来，最高法院也屡次做出不利于环境保护利益的裁决。

鉴于时机以及左翼人士日益高涨的辞职呼声，阿利托的决定显得尤为引人注目。这位大法官近期公布的财务披露报告显示，他持有康菲石油公司和菲利普斯66公司等能源企业的股票。

这一决定似乎也与今年早些时候最高法院发言人的说法截然相反。当时，发言人告诉NBC新闻，阿利托大法官无需回避此案，因为他与任何涉案公司都没有经济利益关系。“他无需回避，”这位发言人在5月份告诉NBC。