On Monday, October 5, the Supreme Court will open its 2026–2027 term by hearing a climate change case, Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County (Suncor). The defendant fossil fuel companies are asking the Court to hold that the Constitution and the Clean Air Act preempt state-law […]
Climate Litigation
341 posts
This is the second of two posts exploring the evolution of climate change implementation litigation. Part I detailed how governments’ duties to monitor and meet their climate commitments, and have transparent and attainable climate plans, are well-defined by international, regional, and domestic courts. This post focuses on how implementation cases […]
As temperatures continue to rise at alarming rates, it is undeniable that current climate policies are not enough to meet the 1.5°C temperature limit of the Paris Agreement. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, global warming is currently on track to reach 2.8°C above preindustrial levels by 2100. However, […]
This is the second of two posts examining New Zealand’s Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Act 2026. Part I examined the legislation’s intervention in Smith v Fonterra and situated it within an emerging international backlash against corporate climate litigation. This post asks a different question: what does New Zealand’s […]
This is the second of three consecutive posts on corporate climate accountability. Yesterday’s post examined the Paris Judicial Court’s June 2026 ruling in Notre Affaire à Tous et al. v. TotalEnergies SE. On August 18, 2026, New Zealand’s Parliament enacted the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Act 2026 (the Liability […]
This is the first of two consecutive posts on corporate climate accountability. Tomorrow’s post examines the New Zealand government’s decision to legislate away corporate climate tort before trial — a case study in what happens when governments answer the accountability question before courts can reach it. On June 25, 2026, […]
On Thursday July 16th, a group of Sabin Center staff and summer interns boarded the shuttle from Morningside Heights to travel to the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) for an incredible day of learning about the science behind the work we do to combat the climate crisis and advance climate justice. […]
On August 4, 2026, the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit handed down its long awaited en banc decision in an appeal of a preliminary injunction issued in Climate United Fund v. Citibank, the case challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) unlawful termination of $20 billion in federal funding […]