Powering tomorrow Navigating the energy transition landscape 2024 - Flipbook - Page 29
This summer, the United Nations Environment
Programme published a report describing climate
change litigation worldwide, with 75 percent of the
current cases located in the U.S. These
increasingly original cases—such as a Montana
case from young people asserting a constitutional
right to a healthy environment, or California’s case
against oil and gas companies for downplaying
climate change—are likely to rise in coming years.
‘‘
The international connection is
very good and the teams are also
integrated across various legal issues.
Energy, Germany,
Chambers Global, 2023
While these cases have received a mixed
reception in the U.S., with many pending appeal,
national courts in the European Union (EU) are
increasingly 昀椀nding both state and energy
companies liable for their failure to meet climate
targets. The 2021 “case of the century,” for
example, saw a Paris Court 昀椀nd the French state
liable for failing to meet decarbonization goals,
while a court in the Netherlands recently ordered
an oil and gas company to reduce its emissions
that same year. These are in addition to cases
brought by individuals and private companies
against states for their actions related to climate
change and the energy transition.
‘‘
Looking ahead: A potential rise in climate
change litigation
In summary, for an industry facing momentous
change and considerable disruption, one thing is
clear: there are more disputes to come.
Hogan Lovells | Powering tomorrow: Navigating the energy transition landscape
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