Lawyers are maximising the opportunities presented by climate change, says Paul Clarke
Genesis tells us that God, having witnessed how evil man had become, determined to end all life on earth. The deluge that followed flooded the world. But Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his people, and was spared.
For centuries, lawyers have spoken of ‘acts of God’, which take many forms but He usually shows His presence in uncontrollable natural events, such as earthquake, fire or flood. Today, our planet faces a new threat, which resembles God’s handiwork. Climate change, however, bears the stamp of man.
It is the great issue of our time and it is changing the way we live our lives. Lawyers are clamouring to make the most of the opportunities presented by climate change.
Safety in numbers
No discussion of the future of climate change litigation would be complete without reference to multi-party litigation. Class actions are commonplace in the US and have levelled the playing field between business and individuals. A number of reasons are commonly given to explain why multi-party actions are less
