An open letter from climate activist groups on Tuesday (Sept 27) warned governments worldwide that they must step up climate action or face legal actions.
With numerous legal disputes going on to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment, experts state that more cases are being brought to attention urging governments to reduce fossil fuel pollution and to court actions over companies’ false claims about their products.
The letter read, “Governments of the world: your delay is costing lives. Strong action is needed now to protect people and the planet. If you continue to fail us, we will continue to turn to the courts to demand accountability,” AFP reported.
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It further warned that the planet is on the verge of its most significant intergenerational violation of human rights in its history, with the filing of over 80 legal actions against governments from the Netherlands to Brazil.
A survey of climate legal claims stated that since 1986, nearly a quarter of 2,000 climate claims have been filed. It was further discovered that since 2005, nearly 80 such actions were taken, with 30 new cases in the year 2021.
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However, one successful instance of this was Urgenda’s 2019 victory in Dutch courts that forced the government to reduce green gas emissions by 25 per cent by the year 2020.
The US Supreme Court in June of this year declared that the main environmental agency of the government cannot set broad limitations on greenhouse gases.
Campaigners claim that as governments hasten the transition away from fossil fuels, energy companies are now turning to international arbitration to recover their investments.
(With inputs from agencies)
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