📌Exceptional week for #ClimateLitigation: people around world working to leverage power of the law to hold govs accountable & advance #ClimateJustice!
➡️in THREAD below: short tour of developments in past days: many decisions pending but some very positive progress already👇1/9
2/ 🇫🇷 France: State Council's public rapporteur gave last chance to gov to demonstrate compatibility of policies with climate obligations as gov failed so far to demonstrate that is has not “wrongfully faulted” on climate #GrandeSynthe#LAffaireDuSiècle lemonde.fr/planete/articl…
3/ 🇧🇷 Brazil: Organisations take government to the Supreme Court over deforestation and human rights abuses, denouncing lack of action to address deforestation as violation of Constitution and international agreements greenpeace.org/international/…
4/ 🇦🇺 Australia: judge heard arguments on a class-action lawsuit led by 23yrs old Kathleen O’Donnell denouncing government’s deception of investors resulting from failure to disclose the impact of climate risk in its bonds – case adjourned until mid-2021 aljazeera.com/economy/2020/1…
5/ 🇨🇭Switzerland: Geneva’s public prosecutor asks Federal Tribunal to overrule Appeal Judgement that found action by @BreakfreeCH activist against 🏦@CreditSuisse was justified by #ClimateUrgency
😡sad to see public resources mobilized to prosecute youth tdg.ch/activiste-clim…
6/ 🇺🇸 DC: Biden’s election raises new hopes that administration will support strategic litigation against #FossilFuels corporations as Biden’ environmental justice plan had committed this support to such legal action against biggest polluters news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-an…
7/ 🇺🇸 DC: of concern however, 24 members of Biden-Harris transition team worked at top law firms having supported heavily the #FossilFuels industry.
See excellent review of these professional backgrounds by Law Students for Climate Accountability @Ls4Ca
8/ 🇺🇸 NY: surreal contempt trial of lawyer who spent more than two decades suing Chevron Corp over pollution in Ecuador postponed over due process concerns to Jan21
🎙️for excellent analysis of Donziger's trial, listen to latest season of @WeAreDrilled reuters.com/article/usa-en…
10/ 🇨🇦Canada: and the most recent win as Ontarian judge finds that youth can rely on #HumanRights Charter to challenge governmental weakening of climate goals ⚖️
thanks @SamVarvastian for flagging this great win by @stockwoodsllp & @ecojustice_ca
12/ 🇧🇪 Belgium: 🎇WIN for @ClientEarth & 13 NGOs as Council for Permit Disputes suspends key enviro permit for @INEOS Project ONE massive ethane cracker expected to fuel plastic production based on shale gas imported from US (flagged by @tatianalujanr) vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020…
🚨today @ #UNforumBHR, Philippines #HumanRights Commission shared update on groundbreaking investigation into responsibility of #FossilFuels majors for climate harms. release of @chrgovph recommendations in Dec
more about investigation: chr.gov.ph/nicc-2/
Key findings 👇1/4
2/ imperative: weaning ourselves off #FossilFuels & incentivizing #CleanEnergy
🧑⚖️States must create policy AND legislative environment to compel businesses so they do not compromise climate for corporate profits, incl transparency with regards to FF / clean energy investments…
3/ many potential legal bases to hold #CarbonMajors liable under domestic law:
🛑obstructing transition
🧑🔬obfuscating #ClimateScience/misleading public
🔍violation of fiduciary duty towards shareholders
⚖️in some cases: also criminal liability…