Sign in Subscribe

Feature

Why the International Criminal Court should investigate environmental crimes

Why the International Criminal Court should investigate environmental crimes

On 10 August 2019, vast sections of rainforest in central Brazil were set alight as part of a coordinated action by ranchers, loggers and land-grabbers to clear illegally deforested land. The ‘Day of Fire’ sparked record blazes in the region, but it was just another example of deliberate destruction of

Can climate litigation support loss and damage negotiations?

Can climate litigation support loss and damage negotiations?

Loss and damage has been at the heart of much media reporting about the upcoming COP27 climate talks in Egypt in November. With flooding in Pakistan 'likely' made worse by global warming and droughts in the Northern Hemisphere exacerbated by high temperatures, the idea that climate change is

SLAPP attack: The clap-back against lawsuits that threaten climate activism

SLAPP attack: The clap-back against lawsuits that threaten climate activism

To call the Keystone XL pipeline controversial would be an understatement. Over the 13 years in which it was proposed, commissioned and eventually abandoned as a means of bringing oil from Canadian tar sands to the US, it became the epicentre of an enormous environmental, public health and civil rights

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