Where Can I Get More Information and Support?

(a) International NGOs and Organisations

The following are a non-exhaustive list of examples of NGOs that work on climate change issues:

• Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental (CEMDA) is an organisation based in Mexico that specializes in using legal action to address a range of environmental issues, including climate change.

• The Centre for Environmental Rights is an organisation based in South Africa that uses legal action across a wide range of environmental issues.

• CIEL is an organisation that specializes in using the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society.
• It has a team of attorneys, policy experts, and support staff who provide legal counsel and advocacy, policy research, and capacity building on climate change issues. They are assisting other organisations in a range of climate litigation cases.
• They also have informative resources on their website to assist people bringing climate litigation.

• ClientEarth is an organisation that specializes in using legal action to address environmental issues, such as climate change. They frequently use strategic litigation to challenge energy projects, government environmental policies and corporate malfeasance.
• They also have a useful library of resources on a range of environmental issues and legal strategies.

• EarthLife is an organisation with offices in South Africa and Namibia that campaigns and uses legal action to secure environmental justice.

• ELAW is a global alliance of lawyers, scientists and other advocates who work to promote a sustainable environment, including by supporting legal action in different countries.
• They have comprehensive databases on environmental cases and legal research.

• EarthRights International is an environmental organisation that specialises in using legal action to hold businesses accountable for human rights and environmental abuse.
• They take legal action against businesses.
• They provide training and advice.
• They campaign for corporate accountability.

• Friends of the Earth is an environmental organisation with offices all over the world. They frequently take climate litigation cases and assist others who are taking cases.

• Greenpeace is a network of 26 independent national/regional organizations operating in 55+ countries who bring the campaigning, community organising, communications, and legal muscle in order to toxify the presence of fossil fuel interests in society by tackling the industry’s social license head-on.
• Currently, almost 20 national offices are participating in climate justice campaigns.

• Iniciativa Climatica de Mexico is an organisation that coordinates and supports campaigns and legal actions to secure climate justice in Mexico. They have a range of resources and initiatives design to build capacity for climate litigation and campaigns in Mexico.

• AIDA has a team of lawyers across Latin America who use legal action to protect the environment and communities who rely on it.

• The IBA has a number of committees, including regional forums, and legal resources such as publications on climate change and climate justice.

• The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law develops legal techniques to fight climate change, trains law students and lawyers in their use, and provides the public with up-to-date resources on key topics in climate law and regulation.

• The Union of Concerned Scientists is an organisation composed of scientists and experts who research and advocate on climate issues. They often support legal actions by providing expertise on climate science.

(b) Local Organisations and Law Firms

The most important source of support you can often get is from lawyers and organisations who work in your country or local community.

Check to see if any of the following groups could help you:

• Local civil society organisations
• Local environmental and climate justice movements
• Community groups
• Pro-bono lawyers in your country who offer free legal advice
• Law centres in your community or a nearby city

The international organisations listed above may be able to help you find support locally.

The following key resources were identified in the guide. Refer to these if you are thinking about legal action and they are relevant to your case.

• Carbon Majors Report: Report calculates the level of responsibility major polluters have for the current climate crisis.
• CIEL Guides on Leveraging United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies for Climate Change: Guides on how to file shadow reports to UN Treaty Bodies to put climate change on their agenda when considering countries’ human rights records.
• CIEL Smoke and Fumes Report: Report into the climate deception efforts of certain fossil fuel companies.
• Climate Action Tracker: Analysis of the adequacy of countries’ actions and commitments on climate change.
• Climate Change Laws of the World Database: Database on climate litigation cases and climate change laws in different countries.
• Climate Liability News: Website with updates on recent climate litigation cases.
• Greenpeace Guide on Human Rights-Based Climate Litigation: Comprehensive guide on how to take human rights-based climate litigation against governments.
• ELAW Primer on Climate Litigation: A 3-page overview on climate litigation.
• IPCC Assessment Reports: Foundational climate science on which climate litigation is frequently based on.
• Law and Climate Change Toolkit: Database of countries’ climate change laws and policies.
• New Model Statute For Citizens to Challenge Governments Failing To Act on Climate Change (IBA 2020): The Model Statute provides a number of rationales, precedents/authoritative decisions and articles that would support litigation for the reduction of greenhouse gases.
• OHCHR Study on the Relationship between Human Rights and Climate Change: Overview of the human rights impacts of climate change.
• Achieving Justice and Human Rights in an Era of Climate Disruption: Report produced by the President’s Task Force on Climate Justice and Human Rights.
• Sabin Center Climate Litigation Database: Comprehensive database on climate litigation.
• UNEP Emissions Gap Report: Annual reports on the adequacy of global climate change policies.
• WHO Quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of death, 2030s and 2050s: Comprehensive study on the projected health impacts of climate change.

Key Resource: The Action4Justice Climate Litigation Templates

Finally, we recommend that you consult the relevant Action4Justice Climate Litigation Template if you are considering bringing a climate case:

• The Action4Justice Mitigation Claims Template;
• The Action4Justice Template for Procedural Challenges against Carbon-Emitting Projects;
• The Action4Justice Template for Substantive Challenges against Carbon-Emitting Projects; and
• The Action4Justice People v Carbon Majors Template.

The Templates provide a skeleton for people to follow for certain climate litigation cases. The Templates have been designed by legal professionals with expertise in climate litigation.

The Templates aim to encourage effective use of the law to bring climate related litigation in appropriate cases by providing:

• An appropriate format for drafting a document in which to make a claim (“the legal complaint” – paragraphs, font, page numbers, title, headings etc);
• An effective structure in which users can place their legal and factual arguments regarding climate change;
• An outline of the arguments that could be used when bringing climate litigation; and
• References to climate science and cases to help the user build a strong case.

While your complaint needs to be different depending on what country you are taking a legal case, the Template provides useful tips and guidance to get you started if you are thinking about using legal action for climate justice.

Action4Justice have also published the following resources to accompany the Guide:

• The A4J Justiciability Topic Sheet: This paper provides an insight into the issue of justiciability as it relates to climate litigation; and
• The A4J Climate Litigation Matrix: This set of tables provides an overview of the key features of different forms of climate litigation.

If you are an organisation or a law firm who works on climate change issues and would like your name/resources to be used on the A4J Climate Change Guide, contact us.