Justices have once again denied an oil major climate challenge, ruling to sit out on Honolulu’s climate dispute and further clearing the path for climate tort cases on the verge of trial.

The U.S. Supreme Court buttressed efforts by environmental advocates to hold oil companies accountable for climate change.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to hear a bid by Sunoco and other oil companies to scuttle a lawsuit by Honolulu accusing them of misleading the public for decades about the dangers of climate change induced by the burning of fossil fuels.

The Supreme Court dealt a major setback to the oil industry on Monday, refusing to block lawsuits from California and other blue states that seek billions of dollars in damages for the impact of climate change.

The oil and gas industry has faced a series of cases alleging it deceived the public about how fossil fuels contribute to climate change.