More Climate Lawsuits Than Ever Are Trying to Hold Companies and Countries to Account

image via New Scientist

June 30, 2024, 12:00 PM

• •At least 230 new climate cases were filed in 2023, but researchers noted the growth of such cases was slower than in prior years
• •The United States remains the leader in cases filed with 1,745 lawsuits in total — including 129 new cases in 2023. The United Kingdom, Brazil and Germany had the next highest numbers of climate cases
• •The report also introduces a new category of “transition risk” — cases filed against corporate directors and officers for managing climate risks.

Climate lawsuits against governments and corporations are still on the rise across the globe, but their growth may be slowing, according to new research. The annual report from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics assessing climate litigation trends found that at least 230 new climate cases were filed in 2023. But report authors Joana Setzer and Kate Higham noted that the number of climate lawsuits expanded less rapidly than in previous years.

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