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Article

4 Jan 2018

Author:
Sophie Hares and Sebastien Malo, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Commentary: Climate change cases in 2018 could unleash a wave of new claims against companies & governments

“ANALYSIS-Climate change cases predicted to make a legal splash in 2018”, 28 Dec 2017

A clutch of high-profile legal cases over responsibility for the effects of climate change will be fought out in courtrooms next year...[T]he looming legal battles…could set the stage for fresh claims against major oil and industrial companies, and pressure governments to ramp up action on climate change…With U.S. President Donald Trump and his cabinet members named as defendants, the Juliana v. United States case brought by 21 young activists from Oregon is set to be one of the most closely followed in 2018…Juliana builds on the groundbreaking Urgenda case brought by hundreds of Dutch citizens in 2015, which saw the government ordered by a district court to accelerate reductions of greenhouse gas emissions…A successful ruling against a heavyweight corporate could potentially unleash a wave of similar claims, say case watchers, who reference long-running fights against tobacco, asbestos and pesticide manufacturers over harm to human health…At least seven Californian cities and counties have brought lawsuits against major fossil fuel companies…Despite a few exceptions…mitigating rather than litigating against climate change is favoured in poorer countries where legal success is less likely…But the knock-on effect of rulings on companies and governments could eventually be felt around the world, including in countries already struggling with climate change impacts...[refers to RWE]