The role of strategic climate litigation in enforcing the Paris Agreement: findings from the District Court of the Hague
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5020/2317-2150.2025.15984Keywords:
Climate change, Paris Agreement, The District Court of the Hague, Strategic climate litigation.Abstract
Climate change has become a global issue requiring coordinated responses. In this context, the Paris Agreement plays a central role in addressing this transnational challenge, alongside other mechanisms such as strategic climate litigation. This paper investigates how strategic climate litigation can contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, ensuring the protection of the climate and, by extension, of human rights, through an analysis centered on the cases of the District Court of The Hague. It begins by discussing the international climate regime, with particular focus on the Paris Agreement and the challenges of implementing it, to lay the foundation for subsequent analysis. It then examines the main dimensions of climate litigation, especially the increasing number of climate-related lawsuits globally, and its strategic modality. Finally, it analyzes key cases before the District Court of The Hague to explore how judicial action can support the effective implementation of commitments undertaken by nearly 200 countries. The research adopts an empirical and qualitative methodology, analyzing cases brought before the court between 2015 and the first half of 2025. It follows an inductive reasoning structure, bridging theory and practice. In conclusion, strategic climate litigation emerges as a vital mechanism for enforcing the Paris Agreement, given the inadequacy of current state and corporate actions. Resorting to the judiciary becomes essential to hold states accountable to their international obligations and to compel private actors to adjust to the urgent demands of climate governance.
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