Climate change-related litigation has more than doubled in the past seven years globally according to a June report by the London School of Economics, and is moving beyond traditionally polluting industries such as fossil fuel production.
At the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, U.N. experts last week warned that many corporate environmental claims amounted to “empty slogans and hype.” This could embolden campaigners to launch more legal cases against climate-action laggards.
Meanwhile litigation against Big Oil continues apace with climate campaigners notching a notable win on the world stage in 2021 when a Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell to drastically cut emissions. In the United States, cities and states remain on course in early efforts to bring Exxon, BP and others to trial, hoping they can get the companies to help pay for climate adaptation measures like sea walls and energy efficiency upgrades. The oil companies say they can’t be held responsible for a global phenomenon such as climate change and that policy change should come from governments not courtrooms.
