Lawsuits to Force Climate Action Advance in Belgium, Begin in France

Plaintiffs in France and Belgium are suing to force their governments to adopt stronger measures to fight climate change after a similar measure succeeded in the Netherlands.

Both cases argue that governments have a legal duty to act to prevent climate change, and that current efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will not allow France and Belgium to reach their commitments under the Paris Agreement.

“We want Belgium to close the gap between what they promised on the international stage—what they committed to in Paris—and the way they are acting on a regulatory basis in Belgium,” Sarah Tak, a