The total number of climate change court cases has more than doubled since 2017 and is growing worldwide, according to the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Most of the cases are pending in the US, however the EU and (even more significantly) developing countries are facing an increasing number of disputes, related to the purported inaction of the States in the fight against climate change. The Court of Rome recently decided the first climate change litigation brought in Italy, dismissing the case for lack of jurisdiction.

By writ of summons served on June 4, 2021, seventy nine private citizens and twenty four associations (the Plaintiffs) sued the Italian State for breach of its “climate obligations”. In particular, the Plaintiffs asked the Court of Rome to force the Italian State to implement appropriate regulatory measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (by 92%) and namely to review the current climate action enacted by the Italian State and to amend the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (the national energy and climate policy plan, issued in the compliance with EU Regulation 2018/1999 and providing for the goals set for 2030 in order to,

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