There will be a serious increase in lawsuits against fossil fuel companies in the coming years

There will be a serious increase in lawsuits against fossil fuel companies in the coming years, according to a new report in Nature.

Researchers assessed 73 lawsuits across 14 jurisdictions for the study. Lawyers have failed to use the most up-to-date scientific evidence on rising temperatures while fighting lawsuits, the paper published June 28, 2021 found.

So far, around 1,500 climate-related lawsuits have been brought before courts around the world. But only a few have succeeded in seeking compensation for damages caused by climate change linked to human activity.

The new study also shows that this could change as evidence linking specific weather events to carbon emissions increases. The recent verdict by a Dutch court against Shell, a global group of energy and petrochemical companies, was a success story for climate change lawsuits. It indicated that Shell was responsible for its carbon dioxide emissions. 

Recent years have shown remarkable evidence linking extreme weather events to climate change and their connection to human activities. Researchers believe that these connections could be effectively used in court for cases associated with climate change lawsuits. 

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