Climate Change Litigation in India: Judicial Innovation, Contemporary Challenges, and Future Trajectories

Author(s)	Ms. ACHU J POONELIL, Ms. AISWARYA S, Ms. DEVIKA S PRASAD, Mr. AKASH KRISHNAN
Country	India
Abstract	Climate change has emerged as one of the most serious environmental and human rights challenges of the present century. In India, despite the absence of a comprehensive climate change statute, courts have increasingly relied on constitutional interpretation and established principles of environmental jurisprudence to address climate-related harms. This article undertakes a doctrinal analysis of climate change litigation in India, focusing on the evolving role of the judiciary. It critically examines key decisions such as Ridhima Pandey v. Union of India and M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India, through which Indian courts have gradually moved towards recognising protection from the adverse effects of climate change as part of fundamental rights. The article argues that while judicial innovation has significantly strengthened climate jurisprudence, effective climate governance ultimately requires comprehensive legislative and institutional intervention.
Keywords	Climate Change Litigation; Environmental Law; Fundamental Rights; Article 21; Climate Justice; India
Field	Sociology > Administration / Law / Management
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-10

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