The Lawyers are Coming and Elaine Johnson is Leading the Climate Litigation Charge

Today on the show I have Elaine Johnson - a leading landowner advocate and environment and climate lawyer who’s led some of the most consequential cases against fossil fuel expansion in this state. Her work in and with communities who are opposing the deleterious local impacts of more pollution and being able to frame that within a larger climate change debate is truly remarkable and vital work. In light of the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in July regarding the new considerations governments are now supposed to take regarding fossil fuel projects whether that’s Greenfield approvals or expanding existing sites, there is greater optimism and hope that the law can become an effective tool in the fight against vested polluters and captured governments. And let’s not forget that Australia was one of a few nations who opposed this case along with the USA, China and Saudi Arabia, while our government has also fought domestically against the idea it has a duty of care to both young people and Torres Strait Islanders who will be most affected by a new climate reality or already are losing Country and Culture to rising seas and bigger storms.

Elaine is on the show to get into many areas of legal practice and strategy regarding the work she’s done and to offer insights into the trajectory of how courts will and could rule for healthier and more just futures. The rapid escalation in climate litigation cases globally and here in Australia is a phenomenon I wanted to better understand, and why Australia is one of the leading innovators in this domain. I also wanted to explore and understand the specific cases and implications of different cases Elaine has worked on, and where this may and hopefully is going.

I really do mean it when I say that I think law is the most innovative part of the climate action system at the moment, and Elaine and her team are at the centre of that in this country. To learn more about Elaine’s work, head to Johnson Legal and follow her on LinkedIn. 

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