ClientEarth

Net zero is the term used when the volume of emissions released into the atmosphere by a country, company or specific activity is equivalent to the volume of emissions removed from the atmosphere by that country, company or activity. It means cutting carbon emissions generated to the same amount as can be removed by the same actor or activity so that overall zero emissions are added to the atmosphere. Why is net zero an important goal?

Press release 18 August 2026 ClientEarth has condemned the New Zealand Parliament's passage of the Climate Change Response (Tort Liability) Amendment Bill, warning that the legislation sets a dangerous precedent and shields major greenhouse gas emitters from legal accountability and undermines access to justice for communities hit the hardest by the impacts of climate change .

Press release Over 600,000 call on EU to defend nature laws as wildfires sweep across Europe 10 August 2026 While devastating wildfires continue to highlight the urgency of protecting nature, the #HandsOffNature campaign coalition –consisting of BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, the European Environmental Bureau and WWF EU– is urging the European Commission to use its review of the EU’s nature laws to fully enforce and fund the existing legislation, rather than weaken it.

Skip to content Press release 23 July 2026 ClientEarth has sent a formal letter to Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA) calling for urgent action to address the ongoing incidentalcapture of dolphins,porpoises and whales in Spanish Atlantic fisheries.

Press release People could save up to €930 a year – ClientEarth files EU complaints against Poland and Hungary over blocked community energy 15 July 2026 ClientEarth has filed complaints with the European Commission against Poland and Hungary over rules affecting renewable energy communities. The organisation says both countries have failed to remove barriers stopping people from accessing cheap, locally produced renewable energy in community.

From tap water to cosmetic products, forever chemicals are everywhere, and our health is paying the price. Join the official movement calling for a ban on PFAS in the UK - Take action now. Scientists across Europe, including the UK, routinely find traces of PFAS in people's blood, which have been linked to health concerns including some cancers and reduced fertility1. With public awareness of the health risks rising, more and more people are calling for PFAS to be banned.

Skip to content Belgium is home to thehighest levels of PFAS pollution in Europe – and it’s poisoning entire communities and workplaces. We’ve launched a landmark human rights legal complaint against the Belgian government over its failure to tackle this pollution and protect citizens’ rights to health. We want to force Belgium to adopt stronger measures to stop ongoing pollution and better protect communities across the country. What are PFAS?

Press release 8 July 2026 Lawyers have filed a complaint against Belgium over its failure to tackle widespread PFAS pollution across the country. Belgium is the country with the highest PFAS pollution in Europe. The complaint aims to force Belgium to adopt measures to stop this pollution.

Skip to content Press release 02.07.2026 The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has found Defra’s decisions to authorise restricted bee-killing pesticides in 2023 and 2024 were in breach of environmental law, due to their failure to consider the impact on protected sites. raised the issue with the watchdog in November 2023, over the government’s approval of the use of ‘Cruiser SB’ on sugar beet seeds. Cruiser SB poses a serious risk to some freshwater species and pollinators like honeybees.

Europe’s rivers are broken up by around 1.2 million artificial barriers – weirs, sills, culverts and dams – and many of them are obsolete and no longer serve any purpose. A new ClientEarth report, “Free Rivers. How law can support the restoration of European rivers”, compares how three countries – Poland, Finland and France – use the law to bring their rivers back to life. The results could hardly be more different.