Saúl

Who should pay for a warming planet?

Saúl, Yasser Mozby, Catherine Braille

Accelerating climate disasters and stalled political action have driven a surge in climate litigation, with cases tripling from 83 in 2011 to 227 in 2021 to hold entities like German utility RWE liable for global emissions and compel government action. High-profile precedents include the September 2022 UN Human Rights Committee ruling against Australia for violating the rights of Torres Strait Islanders and Peruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya's suit seeking compensation for flood defenses. Despite legal hurdles regarding jurisdiction and causation in jurisdictions like the US, these lawsuits increasingly serve as strategic tools for Indigenous communities and vulnerable populations to pressure governments and corporations into accelerating adaptation and mitigation policies.