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Munupi clan members assembled in a group for the historic court hearing

Beaches and mountains, song and dance: Climate lawsuits force courts to hear and see things differently

When representatives of Australia’s federal court arrived on the shore of Melville Island, off the coast of Australia’s Northern Territory, in late August they were welcomed with a performance by a group of men wearing traditional clothing and white and yellow face paint. The boat dance ceremony, led

View of Forbidden City obscured by air pollution

Yes, there is climate litigation in China

Activism may be difficult in China, but the courts are a suprisingly welcome venue for environmental lawsuits Activism has long been difficult in China, a country that has seen clampdowns on communities challenging local pollution problems and a more recent restriction in wider public debate. However, the courts have been

Collaborate or die: How working together can boost climate litigation

Collaborate or die: How working together can boost climate litigation

Collaboration can be one of the climate litigation movement's greatest strengths as litigants work together to exchange ideas, inspire new cases and share the psychological load. Last month, a group of NGOs brought a joint legal challenge against the EU for its plan to fast-track gas projects. ClientEarth,

Urgenda director Marjan Minnesma speaks to reporters after her organisation's landmark legal win

Urgenda two years on: What impact has the landmark climate lawsuit had?

Urgenda has become synonymous with a particular kind of lawsuit brought against a state for inaction on climate change. What impact it has had both in the Netherlands and internationally? In late 2019, the Netherlands' top court made headlines when it ordered the Dutch government to cut greenhouse gas

Why language matters to climate justice

Why language matters to climate justice

How can language can be a barrier to accessing and upholding the law, and how can it be overcome? Hamtramck is a small city in Michigan surrounded almost entirely by the much larger metropolis of Detroit. It is densely populated and its mostly low-income community includes a large proportion of

Rattling comfort zones: How judges are responding to climate litigation

Rattling comfort zones: How judges are responding to climate litigation

Courts across the world are increasingly having to assess lawsuits with climate arguments. How prepared are judges to take on these cases and how are they responding? While the rest of the UK was mulling wine, two High Court judges instead spent the winter mulling over an important climate lawsuit

‘It’s the only weapon we have’: Philippines hurricane survivors frustrated over fossil fuel report delay

‘It’s the only weapon we have’: Philippines hurricane survivors frustrated over fossil fuel report delay

People in the Philippines are pushing for a vital report on human rights and the fossil fuel industry to finally be published In the middle of December, as families were preparing to get together for Christmas, a huge storm tore across the Philippines. Typhoon Odette (known outside the Philippines as