Catherine Higham

This presentation forms part of the Corporate Accountability and Liability Mechanisms for Climate Change: Event Report. Read more

This paper provides an overview of known climate litigation case numbers, metrics and categorisations, and considers some of the most relevant trends in the arguments and strategies employed by litigants. Read more

This brief explores the role and potential of domestic climate law in responding to climate change and the specific governance functions they must be tailored to. Read more

Government framework litigation cases are becoming increasingly common, with litigants challenging governments' policy responses to climate change. This report explores the significant impacts this has had, and will continue to have, on national policymaking and climate action. Read more

More needs to be done to ensure the accountability and credibility of net zero commitments made by a range of actors. This response to a UN consultation offers evidence and recommendations on how this can be done. Read more

This latest edition of our annual report on global trends in climate change litigation takes stock of developments over the period May 2021 to May 2022, and draws on a number of recent case studies from around the world. It also identifies areas where climate litigation cases are likely to increase in the future. Read more

This presentation given at the Inevitable Policy Response Quarterly Forecast Tracker event on 30th June 2022 provides an assessment of the international policy response to the Just Transition. Read more

Climate change framework laws are needed for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. This policy insight examines the elements that can be ‘built in’ to framework laws to specify accountability for the implementation of the core obligations contained within, based on a review of 43 such laws from the Climate Change Laws of the World database. Read more

This is the third report in our Global trends in climate litigation series, focusing on cases filed or concluded between May 2020 and May 2021. It provides an update of known case numbers, metrics and categorisations, and considers some of the most relevant trends in the arguments and strategies employed by litigants. Read more

In this article for Chatham House's 'The World Today' magazine Catherine Higham and Joana Setzer explain how climate change litigation has emerged as a crucial channel for advancing climate policy and ensuring accountability. Read more

In this blog post for PoliticsHome Catherine Higham considers the implications of a lawsuit made by a group of Russian... Read more

With the High Court in London ruling in July 2022 that the UK Government is in breach of its climate obligations, Catherine Higham and Joana Setzer discuss the judgment and explain the implications for climate action in the UK and beyond. Read more

This article reports on research by the Institute which shows a big increase in legal cases against the fossil fuel industry and other corporate sectors over the past year. Read more

To deepen understanding of climate litigation against private sector actors, Catherine Higham and Honor Kerry analyse climate cases filed in 2021 against companies in different sectors and consider what the future holds. Read more

This article in The Economist considers the rise in climate related lawsuits across the world. Many of these cases have been inspired by, or make reference to, the Paris Agreement on climate change. The article makes use of data from the Grantham Research Institute’s Global Trends in Climate Litigation study. Read more

Environmental constitutionalism has become a widespread phenomenon but now a group of nations is taking things further, adopting ‘climate constitutionalism’ and thereby placing themselves at the forefront of expressing climate concerns in the language of constitutional rights, as this commentary explains. Read more

Catherine Higham discusses the current state of climate litigation in this podcast show for The Economist. Read more

In this blog post Joana Setzer and Catherine Higham consider the significance of recent climate related court cases against governments and corporations. Read more

Catherine Higham and Joana Setzer summarise how climate litigation is affecting the private sector, drawing on their recent report, Global Trends in Climate Litigation: 2021 snapshot. Read more

This report considers the recent spate of climate litigation cases against governments and major companies. It suggests that frustration with political progress on tackling climate change is leading communities and activists into taking court action. The article includes quotes from the Institute's Catherine Higham. Read more

Joana Setzer, Catherine Higham and Vibha Mohan provide evidence to complement the OECD’s own ‘stocktake’ of the Guidelines for MNEs by reviewing key developments in understanding of responsible conduct in the climate context, drawing on important climate litigation cases. Read more

This article considers how the latest the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate science could become a... Read more

This magazine article reports on how climate activists have won a number of recent ‘landmark’ cases against big emitters. The... Read more

This news article reports on an Australian court case in which a judge formalised into law a government’s duty of... Read more

This article considers the increase in climate related court cases since 2015 and includes quotes from Kate Higham. Reuters, 2... Read more

This commentary presents the international investment law scenario in which climate-related ‘Investor-State Dispute Settlement’, or ISDS, cases are emerging, identifies the main types of ISDS cases, and considers some reasons why ISDS is relevant for climate litigation and climate policies. Read more

Kate Higham looks into the background to the contempt-of-court trial of Plan B’s Tim Crosland in connection with the ‘Heathrow Case’ and links the trial to a broader phenomenon which sees courts deliberately chosen by climate activists as a space to debate the moral implications of climate inaction. Read more

This article discusses recent climate related court cases involving young people and includes an interview with Catherine Higham. Bloomberg, 17... Read more