The case was brought by the coastal town of Grand-Synthe in northern France, particularly vulnerable to warming temperatures as sea levels rise.

Most of the lawsuits analysed did not quantify the extent to which climate change was responsible for the impacts suffered by plaintiffs, known as "attribution science".

If adopted, the draft law would mean individuals could be prosecuted in the International Criminal Court for causing ‘widespread or long-term damage to the environment’.

Dozens of events on four continents hope to turn up the pressure on the insurance industry that underwrites Canada’s Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline.

Last week, the government said it would keep issuing new oil and gas exploration licences, contradicting recommendations from a recent high-profile report by the International Energy Agency.

The so-called "Green Nobel Prize" recognizes the environmental justice efforts of Lavigne in her quest to prevent further polluting industry from coming to her region of Louisiana.

Indigenous activists in Northern Minnesota occupied sites of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline, seeking to disrupt construction. The action puts national attention on an issue that President Biden has tried to ignore.

Campaigners welcomed the result but warned against complacency after claiming the bank had left a number of questions unanswered during its annual general meeting.

"We can’t recall another time that an energy company’s shareholder has been so effective and forceful in showing how a company’s failure to take on climate change has eroded shareholder value."

"This is a turning point in history," said an attorney who noted that the ruling "may also have major consequences for other big polluters."