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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Environment
RFI

Climate lawsuits gain ground as governments scale back climate action

Swiss retirees celebrate a landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights in April 2024, when the court for the first time found Switzerland responsible for failing to take sufficient action against climate change.
Swiss retirees celebrate a landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights in April 2024, when the court for the first time found Switzerland responsible for failing to take sufficient action against climate change. © Frederick FLORIN / AFP

Washington (AFP) – The political fight against global warming may be losing steam, but the legal battle is heating up. Over the past decade, legal activists have successfully taken a number of national governments to court, triggering the adoption of more climate-friendly policies in countries including the Netherlands, Pakistan, Switzerland, South Korea and others.

"There is momentum for climate litigation in the courts," Dennis van Berkel of the Climate Litigation Network, which supports legal action against states and corporations, told AFP.

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