Skip to content
  • MyNewMarkets.com
  • Claims Journal
  • Insurance Journal TV
  • Academy of Insurance
  • Carrier Management
Insurance Journal - Property Casualty Industry News

Featured Stories

  • State Farm Still Wants a 30% Rate Increase in California
  • 2024 P/C Combined Ratio Best in More Than a Decade
  • Articles
  • Jobs
  • Markets

Current Magazine

current magazine
  • Read Online
  • Subscribe
  • Login
  • Front Page
    • National
    • International
    • Most Popular
    • Magazine
    • Forums
    • Blogs
    • Videos/Podcasts
    • Newsletters
  • News
    • Most Popular
    • National
    • International
    • East
    • Midwest
    • South Central
    • Southeast
    • West
  • Magazines
  • Research
  • Directories
  • Jobs
  • Features
    • Events
    • Forums
    • Market Directories
    • Quotes
    • Polls
    • Rankings & Awards
    • Insurance Giving Back
  • Subscribe

The Newest Fronts in Climate-Change-Related Legal Battles

By Clark Mindock | November 18, 2022
Email This Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Article

Climate change-related litigation has more than doubled in the past seven years globally according to a June report by the London School of Economics, and is moving beyond traditionally polluting industries such as fossil fuel production.

At the COP27 climate talks in Egypt, U.N. experts last week warned that many corporate environmental claims amounted to “empty slogans and hype.” This could embolden campaigners to launch more legal cases against climate-action laggards.

Meanwhile litigation against Big Oil continues apace with climate campaigners notching a notable win on the world stage in 2021 when a Dutch court ordered Royal Dutch Shell to drastically cut emissions. In the United States, cities and states remain on course in early efforts to bring Exxon, BP and others to trial, hoping they can get the companies to help pay for climate adaptation measures like sea walls and energy efficiency upgrades. The oil companies say they can’t be held responsible for a global phenomenon such as climate change and that policy change should come from governments not courtrooms.

Below, a look at some of climate litigation’s newest targets.

PLASTICS

Companies that make and market plastics, which are derived from fossil fuels, have been defending against a growing set of cases worldwide focused on the waste from the ubiquitous packaging material.

In July, a U.S. federal judge in California granted preliminary approval for a $10 million settlement after single-serve coffee U.S. company Keurig was sued by consumers who accused it of inaccurately marketing its K-Cups as recyclable even though they are not in many localities. Keurig has denied wrongdoing and liability.

Another suit, filed in California state court in 2020 by the U.S. environmental group Earth Island Institute against Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nestlé and several other global consumer goods companies, seeks to hold those companies accountable for their alleged contributions to plastic pollution. The suit raises public nuisance, breach of warranty and negligence claims.

The companies have denied the allegations in the lawsuits but have made public promises to work to avoid plastic pollution. In January, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and other international brands called for a global pact to combat plastic pollution, including by cutting plastic production.

Internationally, climate activists have targeted plastics makers by challenging government building permits for facilities that produce plastics. A lawsuit announced this year by London-based environmental law firm ClientEarth and other nonprofits is trying to kill a $3.1 billion plastics production facility proposed by British petrochemical giant Ineos in Belgium, claiming approvals by the Flemish government failed to take into account the environmental impact of the plastics production. The facility would convert fracked shale gas into ethylene, a key building block for durable and “single-use” plastics, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Ineos did not respond to a request for comment but has said the facility is the largest petrochemical investment in the area in decades, and would create thousands of jobs.

FOOD INDUSTRY

Climate activists also have targeted the food industry, claiming companies overstate how climate-friendly their products are.

Sweden-based Oatly, which advertises its oat-based milk alternative as the result of a less water-intensive process than that of traditional dairy milk, was hit with three lawsuits in 2021 by investors who claimed in U.S. federal court in New York the statements amounted to “greenwashing,” in which a company touts its operations as more environmentally sustainable than they are. An Oatly spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.

In Denmark, the European Union’s biggest pork producer, Danish Crown, was hit with a lawsuit last year alleging the company misrepresents its climate footprint through marketing that says its production is “more climate friendly than you think.” Danish Crown didn’t respond to a request for comment but has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% in 2030.

A lawsuit filed by indigenous groups in France claims French supermarket chain Casino has systematically violated human rights and environmental laws by selling beef linked to land grabbing and deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The suit claims the company is violating a 2017 “duty of vigilance” law in France that demands companies avoid human rights and environmental violations in supply chains. The company has claimed it has a rigorous policy establishing criteria for suppliers to comply with including “zero Amazon deforestation” and no slave-like working conditions.

BANKS AND INVESTMENT FIRMS

The world’s financial giants face claims by consumers who say they are failing to reduce environmental harms and are misrepresenting certain investments as environmentally friendly.

A group of environmental nonprofits in October announced they have initiated a legal process in France against BNP Paribas, which the nonprofits called the “largest financier of fossil fuel expansion in Europe.” The group claims the fossil fuel investments violate the French duty of vigilance law requiring corporations to identify and reduce environmental harms. The group, led by Oxfam France and Friends of the Earth France, called the move an “unprecedented legal action.” BNP Paribas did not respond to a request for comment.

A German consumer group in October sued Deutsche Bank’s asset management unit DWS, alleging it misrepresented a fund’s green credentials in marketing materials. The lawsuit claims DWS told investors that it invests 0% in controversial sectors such as coal, but elsewhere indicated revenue from the coal industry accounts for as much as 15% of the fund’s revenue. DWS has repeatedly denied misleading investors.

Copyright 2025 Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Was this article valuable?

Thank you! Please tell us what we can do to improve this article.

Thank you! % of people found this article valuable. Please tell us what you liked about it.

Here are more articles you may enjoy.

State Farm VP Apologizes to Homeowner While Allstate Gets Grilled at Senate Hearing
Fire Destroys Mansion on a Former Louisiana Sugar Plantation
No NOAA Large-Disaster Data to Hurt Insurers’ Grasp of Secondary Perils, Says AM Best
US House Bill Reintroduced to Rid Federal Insurance Office of Subpoena Power

Written By Clark Mindock

More From Author

The most important insurance news,
in your inbox every business day.

Get the insurance industry's trusted newsletter

Email This Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Categories: National NewsTopics: Climate Change, climate change litigation, energy industry, environmental social governance (ESG, food industry
  • Have a hot lead? Email us at newsdesk@insurancejournal.com
More News
EEOC_SealAustin Bar to Pay $42K Over Pregnancy Discrimination Lawsuit
EU to Propose Removing Business Barriers to Enhance Competitiveness Amid US Tariffs
Former Progressive CEO Renwick, 69, Dies
Hack of Contractor Was at Root of Massive Federal Data Breach
More News Features

Read This Next

  • The Newest Fronts in Climate-Change-Related Legal Battles
  • Capital One to Pay $425 Million to Settle Claims Over Savings Accounts
  • Bayer Seeks Roundup Settlement, Explores Monsanto Bankruptcy: Reports
  • APCIA: Record Shows 'Minimal Complaints' on Hurricane Milton, Helene Claims
  • Lights, Camera, Action: New Risks Emerge as Hollywood Goes Virtual, Hunts Tax Credits

Insurance Jobs

  • Healthcare Delivery Financial/Actuarial Senior Associate - Arlington, VA
  • Senior Director, Executive Compensation and Board Advisory - Dallas, TX
  • Auto General Liability Trial Attorney - Diamond Bar, CA
  • Account Executive - Burlington, VT
  • Senior Director, Executive Compensation and Board Advisory - Chicago, IL
MyNewMarkets
  • 5 Ways to Prepare for Healthcare Liability Changes in 2025
  • What's Next For Workers' Comp?
  • Soft D&O Market May Come to an End as Risk Complexities Rise
  • Exclusions: Active Assailant Coverage - Oh My!
  • 10 Things to Know About Insuring Boats & Marinas
Claims Journal
  • Court Says Google, AI Firm Must Face Mother's Lawsuit Over Suicide of Son
  • State Farm Still Wants a 30% Rate Increase in California
  • No NOAA Large-Disaster Data Could Hurt Insurer Grasp of Secondary Perils, Says AM Best
  • Marks & Spencer Says Cyberattack to Cost $403 Million
  • APCIA Says Record Shows 'Minimal Complaints' on Hurricane Milton, Helene Claims
Academy of Insurance education
  • May 22 Commercial Property: Five Bombs and How to Defuse Them
  • June 5 E&O and Hard Markets: How Trying to Keep a Client Might Cause Trouble
  • June 12 Rating AI Tools: Balancing Functionality and Security
  • June 19 Can You Hear Me? Yes, I Am Listening!

Insurance News

  • News by Region
  • News by Topic
  • Yesterday

Site Search

Features

  • Insurance Markets Directory
  • Forums
  • A.M. Best Company Ratings
  • Industry Events
  • Agencies For Sale
  • Newswire
  • Insurance Jobs
  • Rankings & Awards

Connect with us

  • Email Newsletters
  • Magazine Subscriptions
  • For Your Website
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Do Not Sell My Info

Insurance Journal

  • Submit News
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Reprints
  • Link to Us
  • Contact Us

Wells Media Group Network

  • Insurance Journal
  • MyNewMarkets.com
  • Claims Journal
  • Insurance Journal TV
  • Academy of Insurance
  • Carrier Management
© 2025 by Wells Media Group, Inc. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Site Map