Activists are increasingly suing governments and companies to take action against climate change. Last May a lawsuit brought by environmental NGOs on behalf of some young activists resulted in Germany’s constitutional court ruling that the country’s climate protection act must be amended to include more ambitious CO2 emissions reductions. The cumulative number of climate change-related cases has more than doubled since 2015. Just over 800 cases were filed between 1986 and 2014, while over 1,000 cases have been brought in the last six years. 37 were “systemic mitigation” cases brought against governments. Cases against corporations have also increased. One 2021 landmark ruling ordered Royal Dutch Shell to cut emissions by 45% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. A lawsuit against German carmakers, if successful, would force them to phase out combustion engines by 2030.
www.bbc.com/future/article/20211207-the-legal-battle-against-climate-change