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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns

@ucsclimate.bsky.social
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Climate & Accountability Campaigns at the Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org. Your place for rigorous, independent, intersectional climate science. #EnvironmentalJustice always.

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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 42m
More from Climate Reanalyzer, produced by the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine:
climatereanalyzer.org
Climate Reanalyzer
Sea surface temperature (SST) data visualizations
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 42m
The Super El Niño is breaking charts as well as records, including Climate Reanalyzer's, which previously went to 30 degrees C but had to be updated today. SSTs in this part of the Pacific are in unprecedented territory - and rising - roughly two months before the typical El Niño peak.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 05/10/2026
They are part of a major rally outside the US Supreme Court as oral arguments begin in a historic climate deception lawsuit against ExxonMobil & Suncor Energy. #SuncorvBoulder Learn more:
ucs.org
Experts File Friend-of-the-Court Brief in Suncor v Boulder Documenting Companies’ Climate Deception
Experts File Friend-of-the-Court Brief in Supreme Court Case Documenting Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil Decades of Climate Deception
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 05/10/2026
🚨 HAPPENING NOW AT THE SUPREME COURT 🚨 UCS President & CEO @gretchentg.bsky.social and former Washington Governor @govjayinslee.bsky.social are joining forces with survivors of devastating wildfires from Colorado and California.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
4/ These long dry spells, followed by short, intense precipitation events, are classic hydroclimate whiplash signals, a consequence of human-induced climate change, as our colleague Dr. Marc Alessi writes. Act now to protect NOAA/FEMA from Trump budget cuts: secure.ucs.org/a/2025-prote...
blog.ucs.org
“Hydroclimate Whiplash”: How Extreme Rainfall and Drought Are Linked
The same atmospheric conditions that cause droughts can also produce extreme rainfall. Marc Alessi explains the whiplash.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
3/ At the same time, many of these locations are also experiencing moderate to exceptional drought. Dallas had no measurable rain for 67 days (July 16th – September 20th), which is tied 2nd for consecutive days without measurable precipitation.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
2/ Remnants of Hurricane Polo will interact with a frontal system moving over the Southwest and Texas, bringing multiple inches of rain in the span of a few days over these areas. Flash Flood watches have been issued across a large swath of the country as a result.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
1/ A very active Eastern Pacific Hurricane season: 20 named storms, of which 9 became hurricanes & 7 major hurricanes, due to a strong El Niño on top of background human-induced climate change. Hurricane Polo (#17) has slammed Baja California and is heading to New Mexico/Texas this week.
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Make Polluters Pay International @makepolluterpayint.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
This is huge! The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has just used his final General Assembly speech to world leaders to pay tribute to our #MakePollutersPay movement. “You are on the right side of history – keep going.” This movement is powerful. We are changing politics. Get involved!
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This weekend the NE US is facing a strong, rare Sept Nor'easter. Wind damage & coastal flooding (worsened by sea level rise) are expected. In this 2025 blog, UCS’s @marc-alessi.bsky.social, explains how nor'easters are being influenced by warmer oceans, courtesy of climate change.
blog.ucs.org
Hurricanes, Nor’easters, Subtropical Storms! What’s the Difference?
Different types of storms explained.
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Center for Climate Integrity @climateintegrity.org · 01/09/2026
On October 5, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy’s arguments to escape trial in the City and County of Boulder, Colorado’s climate deception lawsuit. Join us in Washington, D.C., to show support for Boulder and all communities seeking accountability.
thepeoplevbigoil.org
Join Us: Oct. 5 | The People v. Big Oil
Big Oil knew and lied. Now, they need to pay. Join us in Washington, D.C, to make our voices heard.
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Make Polluters Pay International @makepolluterpayint.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🌍 Today at the UN, we presented 2 million+ signatures calling for fossil-fuel companies to pay for the climate damage they cause. The powerful response: “Polluters must pay… We are with you. Use every tool at your disposal to hold the polluters accountable. You are on the right side of history."
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Katie Surma @katiesurma.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
At least 124 environmental defenders were killed in 2025. Organized crime, extractive industries and authoritarian governments all contributed to the violence, a new report says. insideclimatenews.org/news/1509202...
insideclimatenews.org
An Environmental Defender Is Murdered Every Three Days - Inside Climate News
At least 124 people were killed in 2025 for protecting their homelands, forests, farms and waterways from pollution and other harms, according to a new report.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
UCS has joined 43 other orgs in calling for standards bodies to follow 10 principles to strengthen their own governance and credibility. The principles cover financial transparency, transparent decision-making criteria, and respect for scientific & legal foundations, among other recommendations:
standardsgovernance.org
Principles for Good Governance in Corporate Standards
An open letter calling on corporate standards bodies to commit to ten principles of good governance.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
A recent report by Oxford University found that while most standards organizations have well-defined governance policies, execution and evaluation of those policies aren’t always easy to verify.
smithschool.ox.ac.uk
Governing climate credibility: Reviewing the governance of sustainability and climate standard organisations
Matilda Becker and Alexis McGivern reflect on a first-of-its kind governance review of five leading sustainability and climate standards setters that identifies opportunities to strengthen transparenc...
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
That’s why strong governance of these standards is important. This means decision-making must be transparent and accountable to prevent undue industry influence and conflicts of interest.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Voluntary standards put forward by bodies like GHG Protocol, Science-Based Targets Initiative & International Standards Organization play an important role in helping companies understand their climate impact and make choices that benefit their bottom lines and protect the health of people & planet.
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Center for Climate Integrity @climateintegrity.org · 16/09/2026
🚨 VICTORY! The Big Oil immunity bill has stalled (for now) after the House Judiciary Committee adjourned before bringing the bill for a vote. This fight is far from over, but today is a victory for those who agree that no industry should be above the law.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 15/09/2026
"This indefensible, dangerous bill seeks to put an industry that has been lying to the public for decades above the law. And the cherry on top of this sweet giveaway to polluters: the bill attempts to codify climate science denial by misrepresenting the field of attribution science."—Kathy Mulvey
ucs.org
Big Oil Immunity Bill Connected to Prominent Right-Wing Operative Leonard Leo in House Judiciary Committee Markup
Big Oil Immunity Bill Connected to Prominent Right-Wing Operative Leonard Leo in House Judiciary Committee Markup
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 15/09/2026
Please call representatives in the House Judiciary Committee to say No Immunity for Big Oil!
secure.ucs.org
Call Congress: No Immunity for Big Oil
Make a time-sensitive call to urge your member of Congress in the House Judiciary Committee to oppose immunity for Big Oil.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 15/09/2026
Big Oil denying the hazards they knew would result from the use of their fossil fuel products.
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Center for Climate Integrity @climateintegrity.org · 14/09/2026
🚨BIG OIL IS RACING TO BE ABOVE THE LAW🚨 HR 8330, which aims to give Big Oil immunity from all climate laws and lawsuits, will be considered in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. No industry should be above the law — especially one that has lied to the American people for decades.
climateintegrity.org
Big Oil Immunity Bill Will Be Considered in House Committee Wednesday | Center for Climate Integrity
Despite Widespread Opposition, Republicans Will Push Legislation in the House Judiciary Committee to Shield Fossil Fuel Companies from Climate Laws and Lawsuits
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Marc Alessi @marc-alessi.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
According to new data, August 2026 was the hottest Aug on record globally, tying July 2023 as the hottest month in recorded history. The heat is in part due to record ocean temperatures across the globe from the burning of fossil fuels and the developing Super El Niño. @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social
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Marc Alessi @marc-alessi.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
This follows new data from @climate.noaa.gov saying the U.S. experienced both its hottest summer and hottest August on record. Check out my full statement on that here: www.ucs.org/about/news/s...
ucs.org
Summer and August 2026 Set Heat Records, in Latest Alarming Climate Signal
Summer 2026 and August 2026 were the hottest on record in the United States, according to new data from NOAA, driven by climate change and a Super El Nino.
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Marc Alessi @marc-alessi.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The record is particularly striking for two reasons: first, July is normally warmer than Aug, but thanks to the developing El Niño, Aug 2026 pulled out on top. Second, the Earth’s oceans normally experience their peak ocean temperature in March, following the SH summer, but they’re peaking now.
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Marc Alessi @marc-alessi.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Data from @bennollweather.bsky.social also shows that total precipitable water in the atmosphere during August 2026 reached a new record high. Warmer atmosphere -> more water in the atmos -> more fuel for storms (i.e., stronger tropical cyclones to nor’easters to regular day-to-day storm systems).
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Marc Alessi @marc-alessi.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
While the developing Super El Niño is contributing to this record heat globally, the background warming from fossil fuel-driven climate change has fundamentally altered our climate system. The climate isn’t just changing, it’s already changed.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Statement from @marc-alessi.bsky.social: "We now live in a completely different climate than the one that existed 50 years ago... Policymakers—especially in richer, high-emitting countries like the US—must act urgently to limit climate change impacts & hold the fossil fuel industry accountable"
ucs.org
Summer and August 2026 Set Heat Records, in Latest Alarming Climate Signal
Summer 2026 and August 2026 were the hottest on record in the United States, according to new data from NOAA, driven by climate change and a Super El Nino.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 08/09/2026
"The undeniable fingerprints of climate change are all over recent extreme wildfire seasons. Across the world, unusually hot, dry weather, punctuated by extreme heatwaves, has dried out ecosystems, priming them for fire." Read UCS's Carly Phillips blog to learn more.
blog.ucs.org
Fossil Fuel-Driven Climate Change is Worsening Wildfire Seasons
From 1986 to 2021, nearly 40% of the area burned in forests of western North America can be attributed to emissions by the largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers.
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Oil Change International @oilchange.org · 08/09/2026
In May, community leaders from Freeport, TX confronted the Japanese financiers of a dirty, risky liquified natural gas (LNG) project. 💥✊Now, one of the project’s biggest backers, JBIC, is launching an investigation into the Freeport LNG project. bit.ly/4cuO70b
bit.ly
Japan Bank for International Cooperation Launches Investigation of Freeport LNG Following Community Complaints - Oil Change International
Manning Rollerson, Founder and Director, Freeport Haven Project: “I've traveled to Tokyo twice to meet Japanese financiers and tell them, face to face, what
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 08/09/2026
Nepal says big polluters must ‘wake up’ as it calls for climate compensation over flood disaster
theguardian.com
Nepal says big polluters must ‘wake up’ as it calls for climate compensation over flood disaster
Foreign minister Shisir Khanal tells the Guardian the world’s biggest economies need to help Nepal, which contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions Nepal is demanding $20m in climate compensation for the recent devastating floods, as a senior minister called on the world’s most polluting countries to “wake up” and accept shared responsibility for a disaster that led to the death or disappearance of more than 6,000 people. Scientists believe the climate crisis had a role to play in the floods, which were triggered when a melting glacier partially collapsed and set off a deadly landslide and flash flooding through Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal in late August. So far, more than 1,300 are confirmed dead and more than 5,500 still missing, with hopes of their survival diminished after 12 days of rescue operations. Continue reading...
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Ayana Elizabeth Johnson @ayanaeliza.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Is it strategic to publish my 2,000+ word manifesto about a UN climate report on Sunday night of a holiday weekend? Nope! Here ya go. Does the UN call for a “renewable energy revolution” and “transformational change” of our society? Yep! Here for it. ayanaelizabeth.substack.com/p/i-read-the...
ayanaelizabeth.substack.com
I read the new UN climate report so you don't have to.
TL;DR they are calling for radical transformation of our society.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
4/4) Over 50 years ago Big Oil started lying about the impact of its products on our climate. Now people are paying the cost. We must stand up to the fossil fuel industry's efforts to dodge accountability. Tell your state officials you support holding the fossil fuel industry accountable:
secure.ucs.org
Tell Your State Officials You Support Holding the Fossil Fuel Industry Accountable
Write today and tell your state attorney general and governor you support efforts to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for its climate deception and damages.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
3/4) The challenge was led by a group of Republican Attorneys General and backed by fossil fuel trade groups. Many of these same actors are angling for a federal liability shield for Big Oil as communities across the country seek accountability for climate deception and damages through the courts.
theguardian.com
Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in ‘alarming’ bills
Climate experts and advocates warn House and Senate bills will protect polluters at the cost of the climate
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
2/4) New York's 2024 law seeks to hold large fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change damages by requiring them to pay $75 billion over 25 years to support climate change adaptation projects. The law follows a basic principle - those who made the mess should help clean it up.
blog.ucs.org
How Climate Superfund Bills Use Science to Make Polluters Pay
This week, communities across the country are asking their state legislators for a common-sense solution—using a practice that's been around for decades—to make polluters pay. In 1980, following de...
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
1/4) ICYMI: The fight for fossil fuel accountability continues while a federal judge on Monday halted New York's climate superfund law. This decision is likely to be appealed and doesn't stop other states from pursuing their own climate superfunds in the meantime.
insideclimatenews.org
Federal Judge Strikes Down New York’s Climate Change Superfund Law - Inside Climate News
The decision comes as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in a landmark climate litigation case.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 31/08/2026
If you are able, please consider donating to the Nepal Prime Minister’s Relief Fund pmdrf.nchl.com.np
pmdrf.nchl.com.np
Prime Minister Disaster Relief Fund – Government of Nepal
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 31/08/2026
Fossil-fueled climate change is causing glacial ice in the Himalayas to melt rapidly, raising the risks of these kinds of disasters.
icimod.org
Hindu Kush Himalaya glaciers losing ice at double the rate since 2000, new ICIMOD report confirm - ICIMOD
Kathmandu, 18 March 2026 – Glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since the year 2000, according to two new landmark reports th...
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 31/08/2026
The latest reporting on last week’s horrific floods in Nepal shows a mounting death toll and thousands of people still missing.
reuters.com
Rescuers battle floods and debris as Himalayan disaster death toll nears 800
In Nepal, rescue efforts ​have become more focused on hundreds of people believed to be trapped inside tunnels at hydropower plants damaged by the floods.
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Marc Alessi @marc-alessi.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The world has never been hotter for this time of year in recorded history. According to the latest data from the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, the average global surface air temperature is over 1.0C above the historical average:
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Jeff Goodell @jeffgoodell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
A 1981 internal memo written by the director of one of Exxon’s science labs said it was “distinctly possible” that cumulative carbon emissions could eventually ‘produce effects which will indeed be catastrophic (at least for a substantial fraction of the earth’s population).’”
theguardian.com
Nearly 1,400 missing, mostly tourists, after Nepal-Tibet flash flood kills at least 270
Entire villages swept away after glacial collapse triggers flood in mountainous region popular with trekkers and pilgrims
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The screening will be followed by a discussion with Diné elder Daniel Tso, Diné community organizer Mario Atencio, and Dakota/Diné activist, writer, and actor Dallas Goldtooth. The conversation will be moderated by Judith LeBlanc, executive director of the Native Organizers Alliance.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Tues 9/1: Free virtual screening of "Vs. Goliath: Greater Chaco." This episode covers the fight to protect the Greater Chaco region of New Mexico, ancestral homeland of the Pueblo and Diné peoples, from a relentless surge of oil and gas extraction.
secure.ucs.org
Virtual Film Screening: Vs. Goliath: Greater Chaco
Join a free, virtual screening of Vs. Goliath: Greater Chaco, the third episode of an award-winning new documentary series following everyday people across the United States as they stand up to the fo...
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 25/08/2026
NEW: Our latest report shows the world’s largest climate polluters are responsible for nearly 50% of the climate change-driven impacts on the western United States water crisis due to their heat-trapping emissions since 1950. 🧵⬇️
ucs.org
Wringing the West Dry
Climate change is disrupting the already scarce water resources of the Western United States.
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Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 24/08/2026
“The often dramatic history of water management in the Western US has been a central part of our story, inspiring stories like the film Chinatown. But just like the movie, our waterways have aged, and perhaps not aged well,” writes Science Network member and guest blogger Emily Williams.
blog.ucs.org
How Climate Change Is Drying up the Western US - Union of Concerned Scientists
When I was a kid, I didn’t think much about where our water came from. I’d turn the tap on and fill up to my heart’s content. Later, I learned that the water which flowed so reliably through my tap was thanks to one of the most intricately engineered water systems in the US, capturing snowmelt in our mountainous regions and rerouting rivers into concrete canals and aqueducts. Water in the Bay Area? That’s from snowmelt in the Sierra Nevada. In LA? That water made its way from the snowmelt of the Rockies into the Colorado River, to then be pumped nearly 250 miles in the Colorado River Aqueduct to reach the thirsty Southern California fields and the sprawling city of Los Angeles.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
@kathymulvey.bsky.social, accountability campaign director @ucs.org: “Petitioning to have this case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court represents a last-ditch effort to block evidence of the fossil fuel industry’s decades of deceit from being heard in courtrooms across the country."
insideclimatenews.org
Boulder, Colorado, and Big Oil Prepare for High-Stakes Clash in Supreme Court - Inside Climate News
The case, which the justices will hear in early October, could be consequential for more than two dozen climate liability lawsuits pending against the fossil fuel industry.
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Amanda Fencl (she/they) @alfencl.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Honored to co-author this work with folks from @ucsclimate.bsky.social and beyond:
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
7/7) Huge thanks to all the litigators who shared their insights! 📄 Read the full report below and let us know: What priorities would you add? We would love to hear from researchers & legal practitioners.
ucs.org
Research Priorities for Climate Litigation
Climate litigation continues to expand and mature, underscoring the importance of scientific evidence to support legal claims across the world.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
6/7) If you're working in these research areas and want to learn more about how your work can inform climate litigation, reach out to the UCS Science Hub for Climate Litigation:
ucs.org
The UCS Science Hub for Climate Litigation
We're connecting scientific experts, legal scholars, and practitioners working at the intersection of science and climate litigation.
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UCS Climate & Accountability Campaigns @ucsclimate.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
5/7) The report also documents real barriers: 📉 Data gaps in the Global South ⚖️ Mismatches between scientific & legal certainty standards 👥 Shortage of independent expert witnesses 🏛️ Political interference in judicial science education.
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