Event Description
Brazil is now one of the world’s most dynamic laboratories for climate litigation. As of August 2025, at least 137 climate cases have been filed—most since 2020—placing Brazil third globally by volume and second only to the US for cases reaching apex courts. The pace has been matched by legal innovation: in 2022, Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court recognised the Paris Agreement as a human-rights treaty, and approximately 63% of climate cases that reached Brazil’s supreme courts have seen favourable outcomes. Public authorities have launched 30+ actions seeking climate damages tied to Amazon deforestation, signalling a strategic turn toward compensation and restoration. Courts are beginning to affirm liability for climate harm, with landmark 2024 rulings ordering climate-damage payments linked to CO₂ from illegal deforestation.
This session unpacks Brazil’s rise as a hub for global climate litigation—from procedural advances (participation, transparency, access to justice) to cutting-edge tort and public-law strategies—drawing lessons that can travel to other jurisdictions.
Event Information
Free and open to the public; registration required. Please email Maria Tigre
at [email protected] with any questions.
Hosted by Columbia Law School.
