The United Nations General Assembly appears about to resolve one of the prominent legal issues caused by the sea level rise that is occurring mostly because of climate change: whether an island state that is no longer habitable because
Latest from Climate Law Blog
New National Academies of Sciences’ Report on Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Highlights the Need for Governance Reforms
The new Limiting Overshoot report from the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) paints a grim picture. Global warming is likely to exceed 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels within the next decade and could reach as high as 3.6oC by 2100.
Environmental Review Before and After 9/11
Charlotte Biren Joins the Sabin Center as Climate Justice Fellow
Several Key Problems with the Forest Services’ Proposed Repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule
On August 20, 2026, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) published a proposal to repeal the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (“Roadless Rule”), which prohibits new road construction, commercial timber harvests and other activities on 58.5 million acres of undeveloped public
Widespread Local Opposition, Often Driven by Misinformation, Continues to Hamper Renewable Energy Development
Two major new reports, published today by the Sabin Center’s Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative (RELDI), highlight key challenges facing renewable energy development in the United States. The 6th edition of Opposition to Renewable Energy Facilities in the United States
New Zealand Legislates Away Climate Tort, Part II: International Climate Obligations and Access to Justice
This is the second of two posts examining New Zealand’s Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Act 2026. Part I examined the legislation’s intervention in Smith v Fonterra and situated it within an emerging international backlash against corporate climate litigation.
New Zealand Legislates Away Climate Tort, Part I: Smith v Fonterra and the Global Backlash Against Climate Litigation
This is the second of three consecutive posts on corporate climate accountability. Yesterday’s post examined the Paris Judicial Court’s June 2026 ruling in Notre Affaire à Tous et al. v. TotalEnergies SE.
On August 18, 2026, New Zealand’s Parliament
Recognizing Scope 3, Reserving the Remedy: The Paris Court’s TotalEnergies Judgment
This is the first of two consecutive posts on corporate climate accountability. Tomorrow’s post examines the New Zealand government’s decision to legislate away corporate climate tort before trial — a case study in what happens when governments answer the accountability
Sabin Center Releases Summary Report for the Second Conference on Attribution Science and Climate Law
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law and the Columbia Climate School have published the summary report for the Second Conference on Attribution Science and Climate Law, held at Columbia University on June 10–11, 2026. This event brought together physical
