ARTICLE · 27 NOVEMBER 2024

Trends In Climate Litigation

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Climate litigation has attracted significant media attention in recent years, with the number of cases globally continuing to grow markedly. Such cases broadly fall into two categories: claims for compensation.

EnglandEnvironment

Justin Williams

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Climate litigation has attracted significant media attention in recent years, with the number of cases globally continuing to grow markedly. Such cases broadly fall into two categories: claims for compensation related to historic activity, and claims seeking to change or influence current or proposed activity or policy. Indeed, the use of litigation as a tool to effect change in the area of carbon emissions is evident across many jurisdictions, with representatives of every member state of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approving a 2022 report recognizing the role of litigation in affecting "the outcome and ambition of climate governance". However, it's not all one-way traffic; there is an emerging trend of claims against governments relating to losses suffered as a result of restrictions on the production and use of hydrocarbons.

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