Climate Litigation in Europe - where next?

Climate Change Litigation is a growing global phenomenon. The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change has recognised that such litigation may influence the “outcome and ambition” of climate governance. To date,  close to 300 climate litigation cases have been filed in Europe, either before national or regional courts. European legislators are now in the process of finalising negotiations on sweeping new legislative reforms to implement the goals of the European Climate Law, which requires the bloc to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. This legislative package will have a profound impact on the future direction of climate litigation across the continent.

At the same time, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, has announced a series of hearings on pending climate change litigation cases, starting on 29th March 2023. The cases, Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, Carême v. France, and Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 Others, all allege that climate change is impacting on the human rights of European citizens, and that European governments are failing in their duty to prevent these impacts.

This event brought together experts in climate law and human rights from the London School of Economics and the University of Zurich, and counsel in the Klimaseniorinnen and Agostinho cases.

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