Climate litigation has surged worldwide, with more than 3,099 cases filed by 2025. From Urgenda to the ICJ, courts and tribunals are now central to enforcing climate action, holding corporations accountable, and deciding who pays for the transition.
New Delhi (ABC Live): The frontlines of climate change are no longer only in flooded villages or parched farmlands. They are increasingly in courtrooms. By mid-2025, over 3,099 climate-related cases had been filed across 55 countries and 24 international or regional bodies, according to the UNEP–Sabin Centre’s latest Global Climate Litigation Report.
What began as scattered lawsuits in the 1980s has become a global governance phenomenon. Courts now enforce state obligations, arbitral tribunals decide financial liabilities, and human rights bodies frame climate protection as a matter of survival.
From Numbers to Narratives
Table 1: Growth of Climate Litigation (2017–2025)
| Year | Number of Cases | % Growth | Key Milestones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 884 | — | UNEP’s first status review |
| 2020 | 1,550 | +75% | Youth-led rights cases expand |
| 2022 | 2,180 | +41% | German Constitutional Court ruling; corporate liability suits |
| 2025 | 3,099 | +42% | ICJ Advisory Opinion; ECtHR Klima Seniorinnen ruling |
This acceleration shows litigation is no longer a fringe tactic. Each lawsuit represents frustrated citizens who turned to courts when political action stalled.
Cases That Changed the Climate Debate
Table 2: Landmark Climate Cases (2019–2025)
| Case | Forum | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urgenda v. Netherlands | Dutch Supreme Court | 2019 | First binding order on a government to cut emissions |
| German Climate Case | Constitutional Court | 2021 | Strengthened climate law for future generations |
| KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland | ECtHR | 2024 | Linked climate inaction to the right to life |
| ICJ Advisory Opinion | ICJ | 2025 | Set a global baseline on states’ climate duties |
| Lliuya v. RWE | German courts | Ongoing | Tests corporate liability for global emissions |
| Torres Strait Islanders | UNHRC | 2022 | Declared climate inaction violated Indigenous rights |
From the Urgenda ruling in the Netherlands to the ICJ’s 2025 Advisory Opinion, these cases mark a shift from aspiration to enforceability.
Where the Battles Are Being Fought
Table 3: Geographic Spread of Climate Litigation (2025)
| Region | Share of Cases | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| United States | ~64% | Dozens of lawsuits vs. oil majors |
| Europe & UK | ~20% | Urgenda, KlimaSeniorinnen, Lliuya v. RWE |
| Australia & NZ | ~6% | Sharma v. Minister for the Environment |
| Latin America | <5% | Colombia Amazon ruling, Brazil Amazon cases |
| Africa | <3% | South African coal plant challenges |
| Asia | <3% | Indian NGT petitions, Pakistan Leghari case |
| International/Regional | — | ICJ, ITLOS, ECtHR, UNHRC rulings |
The U.S. and Europe dominate in numbers. Yet Global South cases — though fewer than 10% — are powerful, weaving climate into constitutional rights and survival claims.
What Climate Litigation Looks Like in 2025
Table 4: Types of Climate Litigation
| Category | Share | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Mitigation | ~35% | Urgenda, German case |
| Adaptation | ~15% | Torres Strait Islanders, Colombia Amazon |
| Corporate accountability | ~20% | U.S. deception suits, EU greenwashing |
| Carbon markets & finance | ~10% | Renewable PPAs, offset disputes |
| Rights-based cases | ~15% | KlimaSeniorinnen, Leghari |
| Anti-climate litigation | ~5% | ESG rollback suits, SLAPPs |
The field now spans emissions, adaptation, finance, rights, and backlash. Corporations face suits over greenwashing; governments are compelled to adapt faster; activists battle SLAPP suits designed to silence dissent.
Arbitration: The Hidden Arena
Table 5: Arbitration in Climate Disputes
| Type | Typical Cases | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Investor–State (ISDS) | Fossil firms suing states | Rockhopper v. Italy (€190m); RWE v. Netherlands |
| Commercial Arbitration | Renewables PPAs, carbon credits | Confidential ICC/LCIA disputes |
| Specialized Arbitration | ESG clauses, natural resources | PCA Environmental Rules; ICC Task Force |
When governments close coal plants or cancel oil drilling, companies often sue in arbitration. Rockhopper v. Italy saw €190m awarded after Italy banned offshore drilling. These cases highlight how courts define obligations, while arbitration decides who pays.
The Backlash
UNEP notes a surge in anti-climate cases: suits rolling back ESG mandates in the U.S., or SLAPPs targeting activists worldwide. Litigation is thus no longer one-sided. The legal battlefield now includes both climate advocates and climate opponents.
UNEP Report vs. ABC Live Narrative
| Aspect | UNEP Report (2025) | ABC Live Report |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Maps data and case counts | Adds storytelling with case studies |
| Finance | Notes greenwashing | Expands into arbitration and offsets |
| Rights | Mentions rights framing | Shows how rights reshape remedies |
| Global South | <10% of cases | Frames as a justice frontier |
| Backlash | Identifies trend | Analyses political risk & regulatory chill |
UNEP maps the landscape; ABC Live tells the story of how these cases are reshaping governance.
Conclusion
The year 2025 marks a turning point:
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Courts order states to act.
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Arbitral tribunals impose billion-dollar liabilities.
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Human rights bodies frame climate as survival.
At the same time, anti-climate lawsuits threaten to turn the law against its own emancipatory promise.
The courtroom is now the frontline of the climate struggle — where promises are enforced, costs are settled, and justice is defined.
References (Exact Links)
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UNEP – Global Climate Litigation Report 2025 PDF
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Sabin Center – Climate Change Litigation Database http://climatecasechart.com
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ICJ – Advisory Opinions https://www.icj-cij.org/opinions
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ECtHR – KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland (2024) https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-233443
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UNHRC – Torres Strait Islanders v. Australia (2022) https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/09/un-human-rights-committee-finds-australia-failed-protect-torres-strait-islanders
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Rockhopper v. Italy – Arbitration Award https://globalarbitrationreview.com/rockhopper-wins-italian-arbitration-over-oil-drilling-ban
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PCA – Environmental Arbitration Services https://pca-cpa.org/en/services/arbitration-services/environmental-disputes/
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ICC – Task Force on Arbitration of Climate Change Disputes https://iccwbo.org/publication/report-of-the-icc-task-force-on-arbitration-of-climate-change-related-disputes/
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Germanwatch – German Constitutional Court Climate Ruling https://www.germanwatch.org/en/19777
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CER (South Africa) – Climate & Energy Litigation https://cer.org.za/programmes/climate-change-energy
