2025 Global Climate Change Litigation Report
The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics releases 2025 Global Climate Change Litigation Report, aimed at summarizing the development of climate change litigation.
From 1986 to 2024, there have been over 2900 global climate change lawsuits, with a total of 226 in 2024.
Related Post: London School of Economics Releases 2024 Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation Report
Global Climate Change Litigation Development
After the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015, the number of global climate change lawsuits has rapidly increased. The total number of lawsuits in 2015 was 120, which increased to over 300 in 2021. From 2021 to 2024, the number of lawsuits is significantly higher than in 2015 but has been decreasing for three consecutive years. Climate litigation has become a global phenomenon, with such lawsuits occurring in nearly 60 countries. In 2024, there were a total of 226 climate lawsuits worldwide, including 164 in the United States and 62 in other regions.
In terms of the total number of climate change lawsuits, the United States (nearly 2000), Australia (164), and the United Kingdom (133) have the highest numbers. 86% of climate lawsuits come from developed economies, 9% from developing economies, and 5% from international regions. Climate lawsuits in developing economies are growing rapidly, with 60% filed in the past five years.
Global Climate Strategy Litigation Status
Climate strategy litigation refers to litigation that can generate outcomes beyond individual lawsuits, have broad social impacts, and focus on long-term policy and regulatory changes. In 2024, there were a total of 187 climate strategy lawsuits worldwide, including 134 in the United States and 53 in other regions. Climate strategy litigation includes the following categories:
- Government framework lawsuits: 14 lawsuits filed against climate goals and policies that affect the entire economy and society in 2024.
- Integrated climate considerations lawsuits: Lawsuits seeking to incorporate climate considerations, standards, or principles into industry decision-making are the largest category of climate litigation, with a total of 97 lawsuits in 2024.
- Polluters pay lawsuits: 11 lawsuits in 2024 seeking compensation based on the defendant’s greenhouse gas emissions or other activities that have a negative impact on the climate.
- Corporate framework lawsuits: 4 lawsuits requiring changes in corporate policies, governance, and business decisions to reduce carbon emissions in 2024.
- Failure-to-adapt lawsuits: 7 lawsuits filed by companies for failing to consider climate risks in 2024.
- Transition risk lawsuits: Lawsuits arising from mismanagement of transition risks by directors and senior management are the least common category of climate litigation, with a total of 1 case in 2024.
- Climate-washing lawsuits: 25 lawsuits questioning companies’ inaccurate statements of low-carbon transformation actions in 2024.
- Turning-off-the-tapes lawsuits: 7 lawsuits against funding inconsistent with climate action in 2024.
Global Non-Climate Strategy Litigation Status
Non-climate strategy litigation refers to litigation unrelated to climate, accounting for 60% of climate litigation in 2024, including:
- Anti-regulatory challenges: Lawsuits against climate related regulatory policies.
- ESG backlash: Lawsuits that focus on ESG issues such as climate change, opposing the prioritization of ESG in business operations and asset investments.
- Strategic litigation against public participation: Lawsuits against public climate change participants to prevent climate action.
- Just transition: Lawsuits filed by individuals or communities due to negative impacts during a just transition that raise questions about the fairness of climate policies or projects.
- Green v. green: Lawsuits arising from conflicts between different objectives (environmental goals, social value goals), such as climate change, protecting biodiversity, and maintaining community rights.
Reference:
Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation 2025 Snapshot
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