People increasingly turning to courts for climate rights

As the impacts of climate change are getting more intense, people are increasingly turning to courts to combat the crisis, according to a new report. The “Global Climate Litigation Report, 2023 Status Review”, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), said 2,180 climate-related cases have been filed in a year — reflecting a steady increase from 884 cases in 2017 and from 1,550 cases in 2020, The cases have been filed in 65 jurisdictions, including international and regional courts, tribunals, quasi-judicial bodies, or other adjudicatory bodies such as Special Procedures at the United Nations and arbitration tribunals. The report highlighted challenges to whether courts have the power to resolve the dispute, identifying the source of an enforceable climate-related right or obligation, crafting a remedy that will lessen the plaintiffs’ injuries, and, importantly, marshalling the science of climate attribution. It said there were countries where there was limited information about the extent of climate litigation, and it was likely that more cases in jurisdictions not yet represented will be brought to light in the near future.