Litigating Future Fossil Fuels: How a South African Case Prevented Fossil Fuel Exploration
The scientific consensus is clear: in order to avoid warming above 1.5 degrees Celsius, most remaining fossil fuels must stay in the ground. Fossil fuel corporations, however, continue to exploit untapped reserves. So how can litigators preempt corporate attempts to develop more fossil fuel resources than the global climate system can safely sustain?
The recent case against Shell in South Africa offers some answers. In late 2021, litigators succeeded in halting Shell's plans to conduct seismic surveys off of South Africa's Wild Coast -- a vital and sensitive marine ecosystem.
This webinar will feature conversations with the lawyers and activists involved in this case and will help shed light on how litigators and advocates can use the tools at their disposal to challenge fossil fuel corporations before they succeed in developing new fossil fuel resources.
Panelists:
- Melissa Groenink, Programme Manager: Defending Rights, Natural Justice
- Sinegugu Zukulu, Applicant in the Case
- Lucien Limacher, Head of Defending Rights Program and Litigation, Natural Justice
Moderator:
- César Rodríguez-Garavito, Climate Litigation Accelerator and Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, NYU Law