The corporate court system (known formally as Investor State Dispute Settlement, or ISDS) bypasses public courts and allows fossil fuel companies to sue governments over alleged lost profits. This is deterring governments from taking climate action and exposing the public to huge costs. For example, a fossil fuel company is suing the UK over the now-abandoned Cumbria coal mine after it was ruled unlawful by the UK’s high court, potentially costing the taxpayer up to £300 million.

Using the local Cumbria case as an example, we will raise awareness about the public risks corporate courts pose here in the UK. We will also work closely with allies in countries most impacted by corporate court cases, like Colombia, to push corporate courts up the agenda at international climate events and bring global attention to the issue.