Climate Litigation

256 posts

100 Days of Trump 2.0: Laying the Groundwork for Future Climate Litigation Battles

This post is part of a new Climate Law Blog series, 100 Days of Trump 2.0, in which the Sabin Center offers reflections on the first 100 days of President Trump’s second term across a variety of climate-related topics. To read other posts from the series, which will roll out over […]

Sweden’s first systemic climate mitigation case and the application of KlimaSeniorinnen: unpacking the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Aurora case

On February 19, 2025, the Swedish Supreme Court dismissed the Aurora case (Anton Foley and others v Sweden), the first systemic climate change case brought in Sweden. The case is among the first in which a national apex court has applied the principles developed by the European Court of Human […]

New York City’s Building Electrification Law Wins in District Court

Last week, building electrification secured an important victory in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In Association of Contracting Plumbers of The City of New York, Inc. et al v. City of New York, plumbing and building trade groups challenged New York City’s Local […]

[Act] of all trades, litigable to none: A Critical Examination of Malaysia’s Proposed Climate Change Bill

Malaysia is at high risk from the effects of climate change. Flooding has become an almost-yearly natural disaster, with the frequency and severity of flood events increasing in recent decades. Research suggests that for every 1°C rise in temperature, rice yields decline between 4.6 and 6.1%, with net revenue falling […]

The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: Key Takeaways from the 2024 Hearing (Part 3)

This blog post is Part 3 of a three-part series highlighting the main legal arguments presented during the hearings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the request for an advisory opinion regarding the obligations of States with respect to climate change. Part 1 focused on discussions on applicable […]

The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: Key Takeaways from the 2024 Hearing (Part 2)

This blog post is Part 2 of a three-part series highlighting the main legal arguments presented during the hearings of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the advisory opinion request related to States’ obligations regarding climate change. Part 1 focused on discussions regarding applicable law, and the no-harm rule. […]

The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: Key Takeaways from the 2024 Hearings (Part 1)

On March 29, 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on States’ obligations regarding climate change. This request was widely seen as an opportunity for the Court to clarify States’ legal obligations, advance climate justice, and […]

The Czech Climate Case: Uncertainty after the Case’s Dismissal

On November 26, 2024, the Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic dismissed the country’s first strategic climate case (Klimatická žaloba ČR v. Czech Republic), finding that the European Union (EU)’s commitment to reduce emissions by 55 percent by 2030 is a collective obligation, not an individual one for Czechia. […]