US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has withdrawn from a major climate case brought by officials in Boulder, Colorado, against energy firms Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil, after calls to step aside over his oil company stock holdings. A court letter gave no reason, though he has recused himself before in cases involving companies in which he owns shares; disclosures show he holds stock in oil firms such as ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, but not in the two defendants. The case is one of dozens alleging fossil fuel companies misled the public about climate change, with potentially billions of dollars in damages at stake, and the companies, backed by the Trump administration, argue state courts are the wrong venue.