News
The amicus curiae and its role in climate litigation
An amicus curiae ("friend of the court") is a legal brief that can be a valuable tool for resolving climate disputes more effectively. Let us explain.
The NDC update is an opportunity to push for more
Next year, countries that signed the Paris Agreement must update their Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDCs) with targets for 2030 and 2035.
Brazilian court fines rancher USD 50 million for deforesting the Amazon
A person was found guilty of illegally deforesting the Amazon rainforest and causing the release of 901,600 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
New climate litigation in the region
Citizens vs. environmental authority over the expansion of the port of Veracruz in Mexico
In 2016, two citizens of Veracruz, Mexico, filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for the authorization of the expansion works of the port of Veracruz, alleging the violation of the right to a healthy environment due to the impact on the Veracruz Reef System National Park, a protected natural area, and other reefs in the area not officially identified.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) that defend the environment and a group of experts filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court of Colombia, arguing that Article 57 of Law 99 of 1993 was obsolete because it did not consider the climate crisis as a determining factor when conducting environmental impact assessments, thus failing to comply with constitutional and international law standards.
Mejillones Community vs. Environmental Assessment Service of Antofagasta (Chile)
Residents of the Mejillones community in Antofagasta, Chile, requested that the Environmental Assessment Service review the Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) granted in 2007 for the Angamos thermoelectric plant. After receiving a negative response, they filed an appeal for protection, which was resolved in April 2022 by the Supreme Court, ordering the integration of climate variables into the RCA review process.
Publications of interest
The 2024 state of the climate report: Perilous times on planet Earth (William J. Ripple et. al.).
Situating Held v. Montana in the Youth Climate Litigation Movement (Daniel Ziebarth).
Situation of human rights defenders, report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor.
Research Areas for Climate Litigation (Delta Merner, Carly Phillips and Kathy Mulvey).
Implementing the Inflation Reduction Act: Progress to Date and Risks from a Future Hostile Administration (Romany Webb, Martin Lockman and Emma Shumway).
Events and calls for proposals
Call for contributions: Oceans and human rights
Purpose: To contribute to the thematic report on oceans and human rights by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, to be presented at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in 2025.
Deadline: October 30, 2024
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To provide information on new cases not included on the platform or to offer updates or corrections to cases already included, use this form .
For any comments, contributions, or suggestions regarding this newsletter or the platform, please write to plc@aida-americas.org
News
The amicus curiae and its role in climate litigation
An amicus curiae ("friend of the court") is a legal brief that can be a valuable tool for resolving climate disputes more effectively. Let us explain.
The NDC update is an opportunity to push for more
Next year, countries that signed the Paris Agreement must update their Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDCs) with targets for 2030 and 2035.
Brazilian court fines rancher USD 50 million for deforesting the Amazon
A person was found guilty of illegally deforesting the Amazon rainforest and causing the release of 901,600 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
New climate litigation in the region
Citizens vs. environmental authority over the expansion of the port of Veracruz in Mexico
In 2016, two citizens of Veracruz, Mexico, filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources for the authorization of the expansion works of the port of Veracruz, alleging the violation of the right to a healthy environment due to the impact on the Veracruz Reef System National Park, a protected natural area, and other reefs in the area not officially identified.
Civil society organizations (CSOs) that defend the environment and a group of experts filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court of Colombia, arguing that Article 57 of Law 99 of 1993 was obsolete because it did not consider the climate crisis as a determining factor when conducting environmental impact assessments, thus failing to comply with constitutional and international law standards.
Mejillones Community vs. Environmental Assessment Service of Antofagasta (Chile)
Residents of the Mejillones community in Antofagasta, Chile, requested that the Environmental Assessment Service review the Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) granted in 2007 for the Angamos thermoelectric plant. After receiving a negative response, they filed an appeal for protection, which was resolved in April 2022 by the Supreme Court, ordering the integration of climate variables into the RCA review process.
Publications of interest
The 2024 state of the climate report: Perilous times on planet Earth (William J. Ripple et. al.).
Situating Held v. Montana in the Youth Climate Litigation Movement (Daniel Ziebarth).
Situation of human rights defenders, report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor.
Research Areas for Climate Litigation (Delta Merner, Carly Phillips and Kathy Mulvey).
Implementing the Inflation Reduction Act: Progress to Date and Risks from a Future Hostile Administration (Romany Webb, Martin Lockman and Emma Shumway).
Events and calls for proposals
Call for contributions: Oceans and human rights
Purpose: To contribute to the thematic report on oceans and human rights by the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, to be presented at the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council in 2025.
Deadline: October 30, 2024
Would you like to receive the PLC newsletter? Subscribe here
To provide information on new cases not included on the platform or to offer updates or corrections to cases already included, use this form .
For any comments, contributions, or suggestions regarding this newsletter or the platform, please write to plc@aida-americas.org