The US Supreme Court refused to consider an unusual bid by 19 Republican-run states to derail a set of lawsuits that seek to hold oil and gas companies accountable for climate change.

The suits by the Democratic-led states, seeking monetary damages, generally accused the energy companies of creating a public nuisance or violating state laws by concealing from the public for decades the fact that burning fossil fuels would lead to climate change. The companies denied wrongdoing.

Two conservative justices said they would have allowed Republican state attorneys general to sue their Democratic counterparts for pursuing climate lawsuits