Courts are redrawing the climate liability map
A wave of global court rulings is redefining climate risk, with growing legal pressure on governments and corporates to act, disclose and be held accountable.
This month will be remembered as a watershed moment in the global legal response to climate change. In just a few weeks, a cascade of judicial and quasi-judicial decisions have fundamentally altered the risk landscape for governments and business.
First, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued a landmark advisory opinion affirming that the right to a healthy environment includes the right to a stable climate.
The Court made clear that states must regulate emissions from both public and private actors, hold corporations accountable and ensure a fair transition to a sustainable society.
It singled out high-emitting industries — including fossil fuels, cement and agriculture — as bearing particular responsibility for climate harm.
