Global Climate Litigation Report: 2023 Status Review
GlobalClimateLitigationReport 2023StatusReview GlobalClimateLitigationReport 2023StatusReview ©2023UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme GlobalClimateLitigationReport:2023StatusReview ISBN:978-92-807-4052-3 Jobnumber:DEL/2550/NA DOI:https://doi.org/10.59117/20.500.11822/43008 Thispublicationmaybereproducedinwholeorinpartandinanyformforeducationalornon-profitserviceswithoutspecialpermissionfromthecopyrightholder,providedacknowledgementofthesourceismade.TheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme wouldappreciatereceivingacopyofanypublicationthatusesthispublicationasasource. NouseofthispublicationmaybemadeforresaleoranyothercommercialpurposewhatsoeverwithoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromtheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme.Applicationsforsuchpermission,withastatementofthepurposeandextentofthereproduction,shouldbeaddressedtounep-communication-director@un.org. Disclaimers ThedesignationsemployedandthepresentationofthematerialinthispublicationdonotimplytheexpressionofanyopinionwhatsoeveronthepartoftheSecretariatoftheUnitedNationsconcerningthelegalstatusofanycountry,territoryorcityorareaoritsauthorities,orconcerningthedelimitationofitsfrontiersorboundaries. MentionofacommercialcompanyorproductinthisdocumentdoesnotimplyendorsementbytheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammeortheauthors.Theuseofinformationfromthisdocumentforpublicityoradvertisingisnotpermitted.Trademarknamesandsymbolsareusedinaneditorialfashionwithnointentiononinfringementoftrademarkorcopyrightlaws. TheviewsexpressedinthispublicationarethoseoftheauthorsanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme.Weregretanyerrorsoromissionsthatmayhavebeenunwittinglymade. ©Maps,photosandillustrationsasspecified Suggestedcitation:UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(2023).GlobalClimateLitigationReport:2023StatusReview.Nairobi. Production: LawDivision UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme P.O.Box30552,00100Nairobi,Kenya Tel:+254207623365 E-mail:unep-law-director@un.orgwww.unep.org www.unep.org/resources/report/global-climate-litigation-report-2023-status-review GlobalClimateLitigationReport:2023StatusReview|Acknowledgements Acknowledgements ThispublicationwasdevelopedbytheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP)incooperationwiththeSabinCenterforClimateChangeLawatColumbiaUniversityin NewYorkCity,UnitedStatesofAmerica.ItwasresearchedanddraftedbyMichaelBurger,ExecutiveDirectoroftheSabinCenterforClimateChangeLawandSeniorResearch ScholarandLecturer-in-LawatColumbiaLawSchool,andMariaAntoniaTigre,SeniorFellow,GlobalClimateChangeLitigationattheSabinCenterforClimateChangeLaw.AfinalcriticalreviewofthereportwasundertakenbystafffromtheUNEPLawDivision:PatriciaKameri-Mbote,Director;ArnoldKreilhuber,DeputyDirector;MariaSocorroManguiat,HeadoftheNationalEnvironmentalLawUnit;AndrewRaine,HeadoftheInternationalEnvironmentalLawUnit;Soo-YoungHwangandRenéeGift,LegalOfficers;andJacklineWanjiru, ProgrammeManagementOfficer,withsupportfromcolleagues:AphroditeSmagadi andAngelaKariuki,LegalOfficers;BenjaminOjoleck,LaisPaivaSiqueira,CatalinaPizarroandMarinaVenâncio,AssociateLegalOfficers;andTiffanyCollardandErickKhayota,internswiththeUNEPLawDivision. Listofabbreviationsandacronyms BNDES BrazilianNationalDevelopmentBank CJEU CourtofJusticeoftheEuropeanUnion CO2 Carbondioxide CSPP CorporateSectorPurchaseProgramme ECHR EuropeanConventiononHumanRights ECtHR EuropeanCourtofHumanRights EIA Environmentalimpactassessment EPA EnvironmentalProtectionAgency GHG(s) Greenhousegas(es) HRC UnitedNationsHumanRightsCouncil IACHR Inter-AmericanCommissionofHumanRights IACtHR Inter-AmericanCourtofHumanRights ICC InternationalCriminalCourt ICSID InternationalCentreforSettlementofInvestmentDisputes IPCC IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange ISDS Investor-Statedisputesettlements ITLOS InternationalTribunalfortheLawoftheSea NDC Nationallydeterminedcontribution NGO Non-governmentalorganization OECD OrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment UNEP UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme UNFCCC UnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange Contents AcknowledgementsForeword Executivesummary V IXXI Introduction1 Part1:Theimportanceofclimatechangelitigation5 I.Methodology II.Surveyofclimatechangelitigation III.Regionalrepresentationofclimatechangelitigation 10 13 15 Part2:Overviewofglobalclimatelitigation9 I.Theuseof“climaterights”inclimatelitigation26 A.Internationalclimaterightscases28 i.CasesattheUnitedNations28 ii.Regionalcases31 a.CasesbeforetheInter-AmericanSystemofHumanRights31 b.CasesbeforetheEastAfricanCourtofJustice32 c.CasesbeforeEuropeanregionalcourts33 B.Domesticclimaterightscases36 i.Humanrights36 ii.Therighttoahealthyenvironment38 II.Domesticenforcementofinternationalclimatechangecommitments42 III.Keepingfossilfuelsandcarbonsinksintheground44 A.ConsistencywiththeParisAgreementornet-zerocommitments44 B.Environmentalimpactassessmentrequirements47 Part3:Thestateofclimatechangelitigation25 IV.Corporateliabilityandresponsibility A.Corporatedutytomitigateemissions B.Corporateliabilityforadaptation C.
