People around the world are increasingly asking courts to act on climate change, according to a report from the UN Environment Programme. The 2023 study found that 2,180 climate-related cases had been filed in 65 jurisdictions by December 2022. That figure marks a steady climb from 884 cases in 2017 and 1,550 in 2020. The report describes this wave of lawsuits as a frontier tool in the struggle against a warming planet.
The authors highlight the growing role of children, youth groups, women's organisations, local communities and Indigenous Peoples in bringing these cases. Their lawsuits are pushing governments and companies to explain their climate decisions before judges. The document updates earlier UNEP reviews published in 2017 and 2020. It also connects the trend to a UN resolution recognising the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. UNEP argues that access to justice strengthens the rule of law in environmental matters.