Editorial: The Emergence of Climate Litigation in Africa

Abstract

What are the particular features of climate litigation in Africa? Or, what more is needed to actualise this potentially powerful form of citizen participation in the African context? If and when African climate litigation accelerates, how can we ensure that the outcomes serve the needs of the people of Africa? Is climate litigation as conceived in Global North contexts even aworthwhile focus for African academics and practitioners, given the nature of African energy transitions and the climate change pressures already being felt on the continent? In August 2020 we convened a workshop which sought to begin a conversation around these questions, which we hope will spark interest in, and support understanding of this field, both in practice and in the academy. This Special Issue is the first collection of articles from that workshop, and our collective response to some of the questions posed above.