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ARTICLE · 16 JUNE 2025

Related Lawsuits In Separate Countries Reflect Different Approach To Climate Litigation

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Often, climate change lawsuits allege claims under constitutional provisions, human rights laws, or environmental statutes and regulations.

United StatesEnvironment
Nilson Anselmo
Nilson Anselmo
Owen McAleer
Owen McAleer
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Often, climate change lawsuits allege claims under constitutional provisions, human rights laws, or environmental statutes and regulations. Lawsuits filed in separate countries by Energy Transfer ("ET") and Greenpeace International ("GPI") related to the Dakota Access Pipeline—an underground crude oil pipeline stretching from North Dakota to Illinois—take a different approach that could be used by others in future litigation correlated with climate change issues. The backdrop for the dispute initially stems from allegations of GPI's defamatory statements about the pipeline and GPI's support of allegedly illegal acts by participants in high-profile protests along the pipeline route in 2016-2017. ET claimed that GPI orchestrated and financially supported criminal conduct by its affiliated activists and groups, including harassment of ET employees, trespass, and destruction of property.

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