Climate Law Blog

By Hillary Aidun and Malia Libby On January 17, 2020, the Ninth Circuit released its long-awaited opinion in Juliana v. United States. By a 2-1 vote, the panel declined to act on children’s claim that the U.S. government had violated their constitutional rights, including a right to “a climate system capable of sustaining human life,” […]

Each month, Arnold & Porter and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law collect and summarize developments in climate-related litigation, which we also add to our U.S. and non-U.S. climate litigation charts.  If you know of any cases we have missed, please email us at columbiaclimate@gmail.com. HERE ARE THE ADDITIONS TO THE CLIMATE CASE CHART SINCE UPDATE # 131. FEATURED CASE Montana High […]

By Daniel Metzger and Hillary Aidun Major Developments in International Climate Litigation in Early 2020 The first two months of 2020 saw a significant number of notable developments in climate change litigation. Building on the recent Urgenda ruling, rights-based litigation is expanding, although recent decisions suggest that such lawsuits yield mixed results. Plaintiffs are also […]

This January, five U.S. Tribes in Alaska and Louisiana submitted a complaint to multiple U.N. Special Rapporteurs, claiming that the U.S. government is violating its international human rights obligations by failing to address climate change impacts that result in forced displacement. The complaint is the second climate displacement-related complaint to be filed this year through […]

Each month, Arnold & Porter and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law collect and summarize developments in climate-related litigation, which we also add to our U.S. and non-U.S. climate litigation charts.  If you know of any cases we have missed, please email us at columbiaclimate@gmail.com. HERE ARE THE ADDITIONS TO THE CLIMATE CASE CHART SINCE UPDATE # 129. FEATURED CASE Trial Court […]

Each month, Arnold & Porter and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law collect and summarize developments in climate-related litigation, which we also add to our U.S. and non-U.S. climate litigation charts.  If you know of any cases we have missed, please email us at columbiaclimate@gmail.com. HERE ARE THE ADDITIONS TO THE CLIMATE CASE CHART SINCE UPDATE # 126 FEATURED CASE Fourth Circuit […]

By Michael Burger and Hillary Aidun On September 19, the High Court of Ireland issued an important decision upholding the government’s national climate action plan against a legal challenge.  Friends of the Irish Environment claims that the plan fails to set adequately ambitious short-term greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and is inconsistent with a 2015 […]

Each month, Arnold & Porter and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law collect and summarize developments in climate-related litigation, which we also add to our U.S. and non-U.S. climate litigation charts.  If you know of any cases we have missed, please email us at columbiaclimate@gmail.com. HERE ARE THE ADDITIONS TO THE CLIMATE CASE CHART SINCE UPDATE # 122 FEATURED CASE D.C. Circuit Upheld […]

By Michael B. Gerrard Despite the Paris Climate Agreement, the seas will continue to rise, coastlines around the world will recede, and many low-lying islands will disappear. This could cause the exclusive economic zones of the small island states to shrink or disappear if international law allows maritime boundaries to move.  This note argues that, […]

By Dena Adler It has been a busy few weeks in global climate change litigation. Even as world leaders gather in Poland this week to continue writing the rulebook for the Paris Agreement, countries are already being sued for their failure to deliver climate action. Here is a snapshot of a few key legal developments, […]