Climate Litigation

247 posts

Can Plaintiffs Challenge President Trump’s “10-to-1” Deregulation Order? A Look Back at Lawsuits Challenging the Order’s Predecessor

Mark Skrobola (MCS@flickr), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons On Friday President Trump fulfilled a campaign promise and signed an executive order (EO) that directs agencies to identify 10 existing rules, regulations, or guidance documents to repeal for each new rule, regulation, or guidance that an agency promulgates. In addition, […]

A Duty on Public Bodies to Prioritize Climate Action? Coolglass Windfarm Limited v. An Bord Pleanala

Planning law has proven to be a useful tool for climate activists seeking to block or challenge new fossil fuel developments. However, it has also been used to frustrate efforts to accelerate the renewable energy transition by delaying the construction of new renewable energy infrastructure (see here). Ireland has been […]

Sabin Center Report Highlights Key Climate Cases and Litigation Themes in 2024

Today, the Sabin Center published a report that looks back on climate litigation developments since the beginning of 2024. This second installment in our year-end series revisits significant cases and rulings from around the world and connects them to overarching themes. The report draws from the Sabin Center’s United States […]

Milieudefensie v Shell: 3 Takeaways and Challenges on the Appeal’s Court Decision

Introduction On November 12, 2024, the Dutch Court of Appeal in The Hague issued its eagerly awaited appeals judgment in Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands) and others v. Royal Dutch Shell. The applicants sought an injunction declaring that Shell is legally bound to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions […]

Guest Blog: Courting the Heat: Heatwaves, Remedy, and Climate Justice

Introduction It was forty-three degrees Celsius or 109.4 Fahrenheit in Dhaka, Bangladesh on a hot April day and the tin homes of the community members in the informal settlement of Khorail were steadily accumulating heat.  Arpitha Kodiveri was there with a group of other climate lawyers trying to understand what […]

The Anti-ESG Movement Has Not Fared Well in Court, but Critical Decisions Are Pending

The Republican-led “anti-ESG” (environmental, social, governance) movement over the last two years has largely been a legislative effort, comprised primarily of state-level bills that attempt to halt the consideration of climate risk and other commonplace factors in investment decisions connected with government funds, contracts, and pensions. Hundreds of these proposals […]

Guest Post: Sabin Center Expands the U.S. Climate Litigation Database with New Carbon Offsets Case Category

As markets for both voluntary and mandatory carbon offsets and credits have grown in recent years, the number of lawsuits involving offsets or credits also has increased. For example, American consumers have recently sued multiple companies, including Delta and Danone Waters (which sells Evian bottled water), for making potentially misleading […]

Guest Blog: Pioneering Decision from the Indian Supreme Court Recognizing Freedom from the Adverse Effects of Climate Change as a Fundamental Right.

Introduction Though environmental rights have long been recognized globally, they have undergone particularly notable evolution over the past half-century. India, surprisingly to some, has one of the most sophisticated frameworks concerning State obligations and individual protections, including a robust system for guaranteeing the enjoyment of environment rights to individuals. The […]