French oil giant Total faces a lawsuit by local authorities and activists to force it to comply with French law on climate risks. Photo credit: Jean-Francois Monier/AFP via Getty Images By Dana Drugmand Updated, Jan. 30—The French petroleum company Total is facing a new climate lawsuit by several environmental groups and 14 local governments seeking…
Most of the oil produced in Norway is burned elsewhere, but a court ruled the country must count the emissions created when it is burned as its own. Photo credit: Carina Johansen/AFP via Getty Images By Dana Drugmand While an appeals court in Norway has ruled that the government should be accountable for all the emissions from oil drilled in…
Young people in Germany have filed a lawsuit challenging the government's climate targets as too low to curb dangerous warming. Photo credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images By Dana Drugmand A group of young people in Germany are suing the German government over climate policy they say fails to protect their fundamental…
Following deadly climate-fueled flooding in Indonesia, a class action suit seeks to hold the government accountable. Photo credit: Bay Ismoyo/AFP via Getty Images By Dana Drugmand Victims of disastrous flooding in and around Indonesia’s capital of Jakarta, the result of torrential downpours that killed more than 60 people…
Urgenda leaders and supporters celebrate the Dutch Supreme Court ruling upholding the landmark climate ruling. Photo credit: Sem Van Der Wal/ANP/AFP/Getty Images By Isabella Kaminski The HAGUE—The Netherlands’ Supreme Court upheld the landmark ruling in Urgenda v. the Netherlands, announcing its decision on Friday that governments have…
Philippines Human Rights Commission rules that there are legal pathways for fossil fuel companies to be held liable for their role in driving climate change. Photo credit: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images By Isabella Kaminski The world’s biggest polluters could be held legally liable for their contributions to climate change, a major national inquiry into the links…
The nations of Vanuatu and Maldives are spearheading an effort for the International Criminal Court to consider wide-scale environmental damage a global crime. Photo credit: Stop Ecocide By Isabella Kaminski The Pacific island of Vanuatu has called for ecocide— wide-scale, long-term environmental damage—to be considered an international crime equivalent to genocide. At…
New ads promoting BP as climate-friendly are being challenged by an environmental law group. Photo credit: BP via Twitter By Dana Drugmand An environmental law organization has launched a first-of-its-kind complaint against British Petroleum over the company’s latest advertising, claiming it is misleading to…
As COP25 kicked off in Madrid, UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that continued inaction on reducing emissions will ensure catastrophic warming and impact billions. Photo credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images By Isabella Kaminski MADRID—As the latest series of international climate talks begin in Madrid, the discussions will have to broach issues of climate justice, experts…
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government has rolled back climate policies, which a group of young people say violates their fundamental rights. Photo credit: Martin Oullet-Diotte/AFP via Getty Images By Dana Drugmand A group of young Canadians have filed a climate lawsuit against the province of Ontario, claiming that the government’s rollback of climate…