Banks and Climate Litigation
This project explores how climate litigation involving banks is evolving across jurisdictions, with a focus on emerging legal pathways and developments.
Banks play an important role in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Through their lending, investment and other financing activities, they influence the allocation of capital across the economy, including to activities and projects associated with significant greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts. At the same time, banks face an expanding body of climate-related legal, regulatory, governance and disclosure obligations.
The Banks and Climate Litigation Project examines potential legal pathways for climate litigation against banks in selected jurisdictions. Where relevant, the reports also consider claims concerning local environmental impacts arising from particular activities or projects financed by banks.
The project builds on BIICL's Global Toolbox on Corporate Climate Litigation, extending BIICL's work on corporate climate litigation to the banking sector.
The national reports examine the legal frameworks and emerging litigation trends in each jurisdiction, including potential causes of action, procedural and evidential issues, and available remedies. Each report reflects the particular legal system and regulatory context of the jurisdiction concerned, while the common structure of the series provides a basis for comparison across jurisdictions.
National Reports
The project brings together national experts to examine emerging legal pathways for climate litigation involving banks across selected jurisdictions.
Banks and Climate Litigation: Brazil Report
Prof. Alessandra Lehmen
Banks and Climate Litigation: Canada Report
Simon Archer, Jamie Shilton, and Umaiyahl Nageswaran
About the Project
The project is intended to provide a practical resource for legal practitioners, researchers, civil society organisations, financial institutions, regulators and policymakers interested in the evolving relationship between banking, climate-related legal obligations and litigation.
The project forms part of BIICL's wider work on corporate climate litigation and climate-related legal accountability.
