“Through an anthropologist’s lens, Noah Walker-Crawford brings the Lliuya v. RWE case to life and, in doing so, reframes climate litigation as a question of neighborliness and responsibility across scales. This vivid, deeply informed account shows how science, law, and lived experience meet in court – and why it matters for justice in a warming world. A compelling, essential read for lawyers, activists, and scholars alike.”—Joana Setzer, Associate Professor, LSE Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment<br /><br />“<i>The Climate Trial</i> is a riveting, intimate account of juridical possibilities long thought impossible. Through clear, elegant prose, Walker-Crawford weaves together the suspense of a transnational legal drama with an impassioned analytic that unfolds how legal principles and strategies yielded an improbable case. <i>The Climate Trial</i> is a must read for those concerned about our planetary climate crisis and pathways for securing corporate accountability.”—Suzana Sawyer, author of <i>The Small Matter of Suing Chevron</i><br /><br />"With precision and elegance, Walker-Crawford weaves together Luciano Lliuya’s story with complex debates on causation, evidence, and the role of law in the climate crisis. The result is a fascinating book."—Maxim Bönnemann, <i>Verfassungsblog</i><br /><br />"[<i>The Climate Trial</i>] is a fascinating and worthwhile read because it seeks to get to the bottom of a key question that has bedevilled climate diplomacy: who should ultimately take responsibility for climate change?"—Gavin O'Toole, <i>Latin American Review of Books</i>
Key Characters xiii
Introduction: Climate Justice in Court 1
Part I. Making a Climate Change Lawsuit 19
1. Glaciers Melt into the Courtroom 21
2. David and Goliath in the Courtroom 34
Interlude 1: Andean Life in an Uncertain Climate 53
3. The Politics of Personhood 57
Part II. Causality in the Courtroom 73
4. Truth and Responsibility in the Courtroom 75
Interlude 2: Courtroom Interrogation 88
5. Tracing Emissions 90
Interlude 3: Climate Skeptics at Large 97
6. Modeling the Global Climate 99
7. Measuring Palcacocha 110
Part III. Melting Glaciers Play Politics 125
8. Glacial Politics 129
9. Engineering in a Sentient Environment 146
Interlude 4: Unexpected Stardom 161
Conclusion: Changing the Legal Climate 163
Afterword 181
Acknowledgments 183
Notes 187
References 193
Index 213