Corporate actors are facing growing scrutiny, and although there has been a modest decline in actions, the range of sectors and issues involved has continued to expand.

Trends across the world appear so show a widening of concerns and actors.

At least 226 new climate cases were filed in 2024, bringing the total number of cases filed to date to 2,967 across nearly 60 countries globally according to research by Grantham Research Institute at the LSE in its Global trends in climate change litigation: 2025 snapshot report.

Climate litigation has entered a more widespread, mature and complex phase, with cases have been identified in nearly 60 countries in total, with Costa Rica newly joining the list in 2024. The US still has the highest number of cases filed year on year, followed by Australia, the UK and Brazil.

The range of targets of corporate strategic litigation also continues to expand, including new cases against professional services firms for facilitated emissions, and the agricultural sector for climate disinformation, and cases such as Milieudefensie v. Shell and Lliuya v. RWE affirmed that companies have a duty to contribute to combatting climate change and in principle, they can be held liable for climate-related harm. At the same time, new trends are emerging. Cases focusing on loss and damage, the integration of climate physical and transition risks into broader regulatory frameworks, and responsibility for Scope 3 emissions are becoming increasingly prominent.

The evidence base for climate litigation is also being strengthened, with new databases and scientific tools helping litigants and courts navigate complex attribution and liability questions.

However, of the 226 cases filed, 60 cases were classified as involving an argument not aligned with climate goals. That is to say that they were questioning governments’ or companies’ ESG agendas.

In terms of results, out of 250 cases with outcomes, almost half resulted in enhanced climate action, 40 per cent hindered it, and just over 10 per cent were neutral.

The global landscape of cases now reflects a broader array of actors, strategies and jurisdictions than ever before. Not only is climate-aligned strategic litigation maturing, and recognised as a financial risk, but non-climate-aligned cases are on the rise, presenting new challenges to climate action.

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