Climate Court Voices

This month, a French court will deliver a historic verdict on the nation’s first climate lawsuit aimed at holding a multinational oil giant legally accountable for its role in global warming. Launched in 2020 by a coalition of local French authorities, Notre Affaire à Tous , and four other civil society organizations, the case targets TotalEnergies – one of the world’s top six "supermajor&quo...

For nearly two decades, the Endangerment Finding served as the legal bedrock of American climate policy, compelling the Environmental Protection Agency to treat carbon pollution as a threat to human survival. Today, that foundation is gone. Following the Trump administration's landmark repeal, the very framework used to regulate US emissions has vanished. In this episode of Climate Court Voice...

In 2015, a Dutch court became the first in the world to order a government to take stronger action on climate. Since then, climate litigation has evolved into a global accountability system used by private actors, civil society and individuals locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to hold governments and corporate polluters accountable. In this episode of Climate Court Voices, Lucy M...

In 2016, the KlimaSeniorinnen – an association of over 2,000 senior Swiss women – launched a legal challenge against their government, alleging that inadequate climate policies violated their fundamental human rights. After years of dismissals in domestic courts, the group secured a landmark victory at the European Court of Human Rights in April 2024. The ruling was unprecedented, marking the firs...

In April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Biden administration awarded $20 billion in grants to eight organizations tasked with financing thousands of clean energy and other climate projects across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities. But that work was abruptly halted when the new Trump-appointed EPA Administrator, Lee Zeldin, froze the f...

In June 2023, 16 young people made history in the US as their lawsuit against the state of Montana became the first youth-led constitutional case to reach trial. They argued that Montana's permissive approach to approving fossil fuel projects violated their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. They won. Now, some of these young activists are taking on Trump. In this episo...

In 2019, 19 young activists sued the South Korean government over its inaction on climate change. Five years later, they achieved the impossible: the Constitutional Court of Korea declared the government's climate plan unconstitutional and insufficient for protecting the rights of its citizens. It was the first climate litigation ruling of its kind outside of Europe. In this episode of Climate Cou...

On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will present its long-awaited advisory opinion on the obligations of states regarding climate change.  The court was asked to clarify the legal duties of countries under international law to protect the climate system and address the impacts of climate change, particularly for present and future generations. 29-year-old Vishal Prasad has b...