Brazil now stands as the top country in the Global South for climate-related lawsuits.
This finding comes from a study by the JUMA research group at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.
Their report shows an increase in such cases in Brazil. In 2018, there were 14 cases. By early this year, the number reached 77.
The Climate Litigation Platform began in August last year. Its first bulletin, released two months later, included 50 cases in Brazil. An updated report is expected in 2024.
Columbia University’s Center for Climate Change confirms Brazil’s lead in the Global South. This region includes developing Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia countries.
Danielle de Andrade Moreira, JUMA’s coordinator, explains climate lawsuits started in the 1990s in the Global North.
Countries like the U.S. and Australia saw these first. The trend then spread to the Global South, becoming noticeable in the 2010s.
In Brazil, this trend started picking up speed in 2013.
The increase in Brazil’s climate lawsuits, especially from 2018, links to policy changes under President Jair Bolsonaro.
Moreira highlights that these cases often involve actions to make the government maintain and implement climate policies.
This response comes due to a decrease in government action on climate issues.
Lawyer Óscar Graça Couto notes a potential shift with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
He points out that Silva and Environment Minister Marina Silva are actively working on environmental matters.
However, he also mentions Brazil’s contradictory role. The country leads in environmental actions yet promotes fossil fuel use in areas like the Equatorial Margin.
This contradiction could lead to more legal challenges.