Cross-cutting Issues

485 posts

Climate Change Litigation Turns Toward Animal Agriculture

Even as the geographical and doctrinal diversity of climate change litigation increases, climate lawsuits—whether they seek to hold private actors directly accountable or challenge government policies—continue to focus primarily on fossil fuels. This makes sense given that major oil and gas companies (sometimes called the “Carbon Majors”) are leading contributors […]

The National Heat Strategy is a Strong First Step

On August 14 the federal government released the United States’ first National Heat Strategy. As it stands today, the Strategy is a major step forward for coordinated federal action to recognize and address extreme heat and it confirms that agencies across the federal government are making this a high priority […]

Recognition of Nature’s Rights: A Crucial Step in Peruvian Climate Litigation with a Human Rights Approach

In the recent session of Peru’s Congress, the Andean, Amazonian, Afro-Peruvian, Environmental, and Ecological Affairs Committee approved Legislative Reports  advocating for nature’s legal recognition as a rights-bearing entity. These reports establish specific legal protections to ensure nature’s existence, natural development, regeneration, restoration, and evolution. In light of this development, this […]

Federal Court Refuses to Halt Construction of Revolution Wind Project

Over the past few years, opponents of offshore wind energy have filed at least 15 lawsuits against 5 projects in federal court. One tactic that plaintiffs in these lawsuits sometimes use is to move for a preliminary injunction to halt construction until the court reaches a final decision on the […]

So Your CPRG Application Didn’t Get Funded

Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the 25 successful applicants for a shared $4.3 billion in implementation funding under the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. The grants will enable investments in solar projects, building energy-efficiency upgrades, the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, […]

In a Devolving Legal and Political Landscape, Cities are the Federal Government’s Secret Weapon on Climate

Cities are often considered a niche focus for those who work in climate policy – a third level of government not directly captured in our country’s federal-state dichotomy, one occasionally commended for “stepping up” or showing “leadership” in the absence of climate action by Congress or in many states. There […]

New Sabin Center Report Maps Climate Cases in the Global South

In recent years, climate litigation has witnessed a surge in cases across the world. While scholarly interest has predominantly focused on cases from the Global North, attention to litigation originating in the Global South has been lacking, yet crucial in understanding the broader climate litigation landscape. Today, the Sabin Center […]