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CSSN Working Group

Climate Accountability Research

Co-Chair: Lisa Benjamin, Lewis and Clark Law School

Coordinator: Joana Setzer, London School of Economics

The climate accountability research group explores five topic areas as listed below. The focus of these areas will be legal accountability for both state and non-state actors. We consider it useful to focus both on Global North and Global South populations, differences and similarities of climate governance, and approaches between and within these geographic areas, and across urban and rural divides.

We also anticipate investigating a diverse set of companies involved in carbon intensive activities (including investor-owned and state-owned companies), as well as those companies involved in climate action:

  • Supply chain litigation and accountability;
  • Lobbying accountability and litigation;
  • Identifying greenwashing and miscommunication of risks;
  • Media and discourse analysis of how climate litigation is perceived; and
  • Understanding reactive litigation.

Much of the litigation around climate change can serve to increase accountability and drive ambition, but can also challenge climate action and decarbonization efforts.