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. […]
Global Climate Litigation
61 posts
In Japan, climate litigation (‘気候訴訟 / Kiko soshou) has been used to challenge the legality of the construction and operation of the coal-fired power plants and promote coal phase-out. The first climate case in Japan was filed in Sendai in 2017 (Sendai Citizens v. Sendai Power Station). Subsequently, two administrative […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A key and underrated aspect of the recent triad of climate rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is that the ECtHR has brought to the fore the role of trade-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in states’ carbon footprints. While most international climate agreements focus on the reduction […]
Amid governments’ unwillingness to effectively curb climate change, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has delivered a bold judgment in favor of a viable future for all in the case KlimaSeniorinnen and Others v. Switzerland (“KlimaSeniorinnen”). The ruling made judicial history. Many claim for the better, as it’s widely […]
Across Europe, activists of all ages have taken to the streets to pressure their governments to take effective action against climate change. As domestic decision-makers failed them, they knocked at Strasbourg’s door. Three generations of right-holders turned to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR): senior women, young citizens, and […]