Climate Courts On The Rise: Global Climate Litigation Hits Record 3,099 Cases
According to the research, legal action is being used to address concerns like energy-intensive data centres, carbon offsets, and greenwashing
A report released by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Sabin Centre for Climate Change Law at Columbia University shows that more countries than ever before are pursuing climate lawsuits.
According to the research, legal action is being used to address concerns like energy-intensive data centres, carbon offsets, and greenwashing.
Climate Change in the courtroom: Trends, impacts, and emerging lessons is the fourth edition of a series first launched in 2017. Drawing on data from the Sabin Center’s Climate Change Litigation Databases, the report examines key trends, pending cases, and court decisions.
“Climate litigation has evolved into a powerful global tool for advancing climate action, and accountability,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “Transforming our energy, mobility, housing, and food systems must be a collective effort, through ambitious and science-based policymaking. Independent judicial systems are essential to ensuring this transformation is both just and effective.”
A total of 3,099 climate-related cases had been brought in 24 international or regional courts, tribunals, or quasi-judicial bodies, as well as 55 national jurisdictions, as of June 30, 2025. Climate-related cases filed by 2022 (2,180 cases), 2020 (1,550 cases), and 2017 (884 cases) are continuing this pattern. Even while they will still account for less than 10% of cases in 2025, the Global South's contribution is gradually increasing.
The discipline has grown and developed since the first climate litigation case was documented almost forty years ago. Almost every facet of climate governance is currently the subject of litigation, and comparable trends are emerging in cases involving related problems like pollution and biodiversity.
The fourth edition emphasises important global rulings, such as the recent and historic Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which makes clear states' responsibilities in tackling climate change. The scientific foundation for climate-related claims is being acknowledged by courts more and more, particularly attribution science, which connects certain extreme weather occurrences to greenhouse gas emissions. These decisions aid in defining international commitments and standards.
The research also notes that anti-climate litigation is increasing, with cases seeking to deprioritise environmental, social, and corporate governance concerns in investments or to deregulate environmental regulations. The rise in legal actions against citizens who oppose high-emitting projects, which target journalists, civil society organisations, and climate advocates, is especially alarming.
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