WASHINGTON — Conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will no longer participate in a major climate case after facing calls that he recuse because of his stock holdings in oil companies.The new development was disclosed in a letter sent to lawyers involved in the case, with no reason given.“Justice Alito has determined that he will not continue to participate in this case,” the letter said.Add to GoogleNovel climate change lawsuit seeking damages from oil companies heads to Supreme Court02:39Alito had, via a court spokeswoman, previously told NBC News there was no need for him to step aside from the case, which is being argued next week and could have broad nationwide implications when the court issues a ruling.Left-leaning groups have repeatedly called for Alito’s recusal from the case, in which Exxon Mobil and Suncor Energy are seeking to toss out a Colorado lawsuit seeking damages from the oil companies for the impacts of climate change.Although Alito does not own stocks in either company, he does hold stocks in oil companies ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, as well as five other firms involved in the energy sector, his financial disclosure report says.Activists calling for his recusal said the companies he holds stocks in could benefit if the Supreme Court throws out the Colorado case because it could directly affect similar cases around the country in which they are among the defendants.The court has a 6-3 conservative majority.With Alito stepping aside, it raises the possibility of a 4-4 split, which would leave the major legal issues unresolved.The oil and gas industry is hoping the court will issue a broad ruling that would prevent cases like the one in Colorado from moving forward in state courts, potentially saving them from paying out billions of dollars in damages.Earlier in the litigation, in 2023, Alito did recuse himself when the court turned away an appeal from the companies in the Colorado case.On the same day, the court rejected appe...