climate litigation

European Court Rules Climate Inaction Violates Human Rights

European Court Rules Climate Inaction Violates Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights delivered its long-awaited first ruling in the climate action case Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz v. Switzerland, finding that the European Convention on Human Rights encompasses the right to effective protection from adverse effects of climate change.

Dutch Court Orders Oil Giant Shell to Reduce Emissions in Historic Climate Case

Dutch Court Orders Oil Giant Shell to Reduce Emissions in Historic Climate Case

Last week, the Hague district court ordered oil giant Royal Dutch Shell to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2019 levels by 2030. The ruling appears to mark the first instance of a court requiring a major corporation to lower emissions on account of their climate impact.

Youth Activists Win Historic German Climate Case

Youth Activists Win Historic German Climate Case

2019’s Federal Climate Change Act violates the fundamental rights of Germany’s youth population by “irreversibly offload[ing] major emission reduction burdens onto periods after 2030,” thereby saddling the young with responsibility for older generations’ emissions and environmental inaction.

Irish Supreme Court Delivers Second Landmark European Climate Decision

Irish Supreme Court Delivers Second Landmark European Climate Decision

On July 31st, Ireland’s Supreme Court held that the Irish government’s current climate plan failed to meet the requirements set out in the statutory Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act of 2015. The ruling will require the government to (a) revise its plan to realise greater near-term emission reductions, and (b) better specify how Ireland will achieve the Act’s long-term objective of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.