26 février 2020
Disputes Quick Read – 85 de 101 Publications
Climate change activism is more than Extinction Rebellion gluing themselves to bridges: activism by litigation is increasingly common. There have been over a thousand cases filed in as many as 33 countries, including the UK.
In a landmark decision in 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court ruled in Urgenda that the government has a legal duty in accordance with its obligations under the ECHR to prevent dangerous climate change, and must reduce its emissions by 25% (compared to 1990 levels). There are similar cases underway across Europe, and we expect many more constitutional/human rights challenges to be brought in the near future.
Last week, the IBA published a Model Statute which seeks to assist citizens when it comes to holding governments to account. The IBA suggests the Statute can be adopted by nations in whole or in part, or simply be used as a resource for participants in cases. The Model Statute primarily focuses on process and providing a pathway to litigation, addressing issues such as disclosure, costs and expert evidence.
The English courts are unlikely to alter their CPR rules which address the same issues. In our view, the Model Statute's greater value lies in identifying potential avenues for challenge in the future – for example, whether climate change has been considered in Environmental Impact Assessments (Article 10).
While the Model Statute only envisages claims against the government, we do think private companies can also expect to face an uptick in claims, with claimants or groups of claimants seeking compensation for loss or damage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its more litigious culture, this is already happening in the US, and often litigation trends there foreshadow developments in the UK.
For now, at least in this jurisdiction, it would seem any claim for damages in English courts would face challenges. The most significant of these is establishing a causal link between a source or instance of emission and its effect on the climate. There are also issues relating to any loss suffered by an individual, or class of individuals. Finally, citizens themselves are at least partially responsible for climate change.
This may soon change: scientific advancements could allow claimants to attribute the impact of specific projects on – for example, extreme weather events.
Regulation could also develop, particularly as the Paris Agreement is now in effect, and the UK works towards its 2050 net zero emissions target. Last week, the FRC announced a major review of how companies and auditors assess and report on the impact of climate change. This could plausibly lead to further reporting obligations, prompting regulatory proceedings or claims by activist shareholders.
That's not to say climate change should not be a current consideration for companies. An obvious example where a company could face a claim is where it has secured investment and funding based on an inaccurate assessment or incomplete disclosure of its environmental impact.
The message to take away is that if your company hasn't already started assessing its climate change risk and putting in place a strategy to deal with it, perhaps now is the time to start.
30 January 2025
22 January 2025
par plusieurs auteurs
6 December 2024
14 November 2024
par Tim Strong, Kate Hamblin
14 November 2024
par Emma Allen
8 November 2024
par Edward Spencer
30 October 2024
par plusieurs auteurs
15 October 2024
par Emma Allen, Andrew Spencer
5 July 2024
par Stuart Broom, Tom Charnley
21 March 2024
par Emma Allen, Amy Cheng
1 February 2024
par Katie Chandler, Emma Allen
12 February 2024
par Tim Strong, Nicole Baldev
14 December 2023
13 December 2023
23 October 2023
par plusieurs auteurs
17 October 2023
14 August 2023
par plusieurs auteurs
4 August 2023
par plusieurs auteurs
21 July 2023
10 July 2023
1 June 2023
par plusieurs auteurs
3 May 2023
par James Bryden
20 April 2023
par James Bryden
5 April 2023
par Tom Charnley
8 March 2023
2 March 2023
par Katie Chandler, Emma Allen
14 February 2023
13 February 2023
8 February 2023
par Jessie Prynne
19 January 2023
par Georgina Jones
3 October 2022
par Gemma Broughall
22 September 2022
par Ben Jones, Emma Allen
9 August 2022
par Nick Maday
25 July 2022
par Edward Spencer
6 July 2022
par Emma Allen
Welcome news for those pursuing fraud claims in the English Courts
28 July 2022
21 July 2022
par Edward Spencer
27 July 2022
par Stuart Broom
29 July 2022
par Jess Thomas, Lucy Waddicor
17 June 2022
par Stephanie High
13 June 2022
par Edward Spencer
26 May 2022
31 May 2022
par plusieurs auteurs
4 April 2022
5 April 2022
par Stephanie High
31 March 2022
par plusieurs auteurs
21 September 2021
par plusieurs auteurs
13 September 2021
par Edward Spencer
6 September 2021
par Stephanie High
2 August 2021
21 July 2021
15 July 2021
par Jess Thomas
26 May 2021
par David de Ferrars
5 May 2021
par Stephen O'Grady
21 April 2021
par Stephanie High
31 March 2021
26 February 2021
par Tim Strong
24 February 2021
20 January 2021
par Stephanie High
12 January 2021
par Tim Strong
23 November 2020
16 October 2020
23 September 2020
7 October 2020
par Nick Storrs
26 May 2020
par Edward Spencer
18 May 2020
par Katie Chandler
9 April 2020
par plusieurs auteurs
15 April 2020
27 April 2020
par plusieurs auteurs
21 April 2020
par Stephanie High
11 March 2020
par James Bryden
17 March 2020
par Stuart Broom
26 February 2020
par Tim Strong, Andrew Howell
21 February 2020
par Andrew Howell
2 June 2020
par Georgina Jones
16 June 2020
par Georgina Jones
2 July 2020
par Tim Strong, Georgina Jones
9 July 2020
3 December 2021
24 November 2021
par Stuart Broom
8 October 2021
par Katie Chandler
10 January 2022
par Tim Strong, Jess Thomas
20 January 2022
8 March 2022
par Jess Thomas, Lucy Waddicor
22 March 2022
7 April 2022
par Emma Allen, Georgina Jones
par Tim Strong et Kate Hamblin
par Tim Strong et Kate Hamblin
par plusieurs auteurs