Climate Change in the Courts: A 2024 Retrospective

By Maria Antonia Tigre and Margaret Barry

This second installment in our year-end series revisits significant climate change cases and rulings from around the world and connects them to overarching themes.

The report draws from the Sabin Center’s United States and Global Climate Litigation databases and monthly litigation updates. It begins with a brief overview of the growth in climate litigation in 2024. The report then discusses nine major thematic areas of climate litigation:

  1. Climate change in international and regional courts and tribunals: Cases brought in international forums to address state obligations related to climate impacts.
  2. Constitutional and human rights cases: Legal challenges emphasizing rights-based arguments, particularly the right to a healthy environment.
  3. GHG emissions in environmental impact assessments (EIA): Judicial scrutiny of how climate change considerations are integrated into EIAs.
  4. Factoring climate impacts and obligations into government decision-making: Courts assessing how government actions account for the impacts climate change will have and governmental obligations to mitigate and respond to climate change.
  5. Non-compliance with climate commitments: Cases asking courts to hold governments and corporations accountable for failing to meet climate targets or promises.
  6. Deregulatory lawsuits: Cases seeking to dismantle or chip away at federal, state, and local climate change laws, regulations, and policies.
  7. Climate displacement: Claims seeking recognition of legal protections for displaced populations affected by climate-related impacts.
  8. Greenwashing and climate-washing cases: Increased litigation targeting misleading claims by corporations regarding sustainability and climate actions.
  9. Nuisance and other claims against major emitters: Continued efforts to hold fossil fuel companies liable for their contribution to climate harm.

Read the report, Climate Change in the Courts: A 2024 Retrospective, in Columbia Law School's Scholarship Archive.