Climate lawsuits evolved over 10 years into ‘powerful tool,’ report says

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new report from the Climate Litigation Network finds that climate lawsuits have evolved over the past decade into a “powerful tool” shaping global climate governance
• Once rare, these cases now routinely establish legal duties for governments and corporations to cut emissions, reflecting momentum that began with the landmark Urgenda ruling in the Netherlands in 2015

🔭 The context: Climate litigation has surged globally, with courts increasingly asked to assess government inaction, corporate transition plans, and human rights implications of climate impacts
• Rulings from the International Court of Justice and regional human rights courts have reinforced that states must protect populations from foreseeable climate harm
• While some cases still face procedural setbacks, the cumulative effect is a rapidly expanding legal framework for climate accountability

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Court decisions are helping hard-wire climate science into law, compelling more ambitious emissions reductions and scrutinising corporate climate strategies
• Litigation strengthens environmental governance by creating enforceable obligations, protecting vulnerable communities, and narrowing gaps in national climate plans
• As global warming accelerates, these legal precedents can drive faster mitigation and bolster adaptation requirements

⏭️ What’s next: Advocates say the major challenge is enforcement, as many governments fall short of court-ordered targets
• More cases are expected in 2026 targeting greenwashing, inadequate net-zero plans, and failures to factor climate risk into investment decisions
• Upcoming deliberations at the ICJ and Inter-American Court of Human Rights could further codify states’ climate obligations

💬 One quote: “What’s needed now is enforcement and implementation.” — Lucy Maxwell, Climate Litigation Network

📈 One stat: Climate litigation has climbed from fewer than 100 cases in 2015 to over 2,500 in 2025, according to UN data

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