Despite vows to pivot away from oil and gas, fossil fuel companies continue to make record profits, leaving those concerned with the environment to wonder if anything can force polluting corporations to reform their practices.
Some see a path for change in climate litigation – including a new shareholder lawsuit against Shell that says its corporate directors aren’t transitioning fast enough to renewables. The case is the first of its kind to target a company’s board of directors in a climate lawsuit.
In recent years, climate litigation has become a more frequent strategy in pressuring governments and corporations to confront their roles in the global climate emergency. Such lawsuits often argue that inaction against climate change violates human rights, while other cases have focused on getting companies to stop misleading greenwashing campaigns, pay for climate adaptation and to establish legally binding commitments in cutting carbon emissions.
In this episode of The Stream, we’ll look at how the courts are being used to further climate action.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with:
Nikki Reisch, @ciel_tweets
Director of the Climate & Energy Program, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
Astrid Puentes, @astridpuentes
Independent consultant on climate change and human rights
Delta Merner, @UCSUSA
Lead scientist, Science Hub for Climate Litigation