climate litigation

45 posts

EPA’s Attacks on Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and the Fate of IRA’s “Green Banks”

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), one of the most critical climate spending programs in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), has come under significant fire from the Trump administration. In the span of twenty days, EPA has blocked GGRF awardees from accessing their grant accounts, made baseless accusations of program-wide […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]