Maarten-Christiaens

Articles - On Friday 21 December 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court dismissed the appeal of the Dutch government in the Urgenda-case, hence upholding the order of the Court of Appeal of The Hague. The The Hague Court of Appeal ordered the Dutch State in 2018 (confirming the 2015 decision of the The Hague Court of first instance) to reduce Dutch greenhouse gas emissions by 25% compared to 1990, by the end of 2020. As other climate cases, such as the Belgian one, are in their final stages of proceedings, this decision sets an important precedent.

Articles - Climate change cases can occur in many shapes and forms. One well-known example is the Urgenda case in which the The Hague Court condemned the Dutch government in 2015 for not taking adequate measures to combat the consequences of climate change. Three years later, the Court of Justice of The Hague  upheld this decision, and it is now pending before the Dutch Supreme Court. This case is expected to set a precedent for Belgium, i.a. Since both the Belgian climate case and the Urgenda case are in their final stages of proceedings, this blog provides you with an update on climate change litigation.