On September 15, 2020, Greenpeace Spain, Oxfam Intermón, and Ecologistas en Acción filed a motion notifying the Supreme Court of their intention to sue the Spanish Government, alleging failure to take adequate action on climate change. The plaintiffs assert that Spain is in violation of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action. According to plaintiffs, by December 2019, Spain should have approved a National Energy and Climate Plan with climate goals for 2030 and a Long Term Strategy with goals for 2050; and the draft plan is not consistent with the Paris Agreement and IPCC recommendations to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The complaint seeks an order compelling greater climate action.
On September 30, 2020, the Supreme Court admitted the statement of claim and required the Ministry of the Presidency to present its administrative file within 20 days. After the government presented its file, plaintiffs filed an application for the Court to order an expanded file on the argument that the file the government presented was incomplete. The Court rejected this application, and Plaintiffs appealed.
In the meantime, on November 3, 2020, Spain's Council of Ministers approved a Long Term Decarbonization Strategy for 2050. Then, on November 26, 2020, the State Attorney filed a motion to dismiss the plaintiff's claims with regard to the Long Term Strategy, and plaintiffs filed a motion on December 15, 2020 agreeing with the dismissal of that claim but retaining their suit challenging the lack of a 2030 plan.
On December 15, 2020, plaintiffs filed their lawsuit in the Supreme Court, alleging that Spain unlawfully failed to produce a National Energy and Climate Plan with 2030 climate targets, in violation of national law, EU regulations, and their obligations under the Paris Agreement.
Case Documents:
| Filing Date | Type | File | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09/30/2020 | Order | Download | Case admitted and Ministry of the Presidency required to submit its administrative file (all documents in Spanish unless otherwise noted) |
| 11/06/2020 | Not Available | Download | Plaintiff's motion for order for the government to expand its administrative file |
| 11/11/2020 | Decision | Download | Supreme Court's rejection of plaintiff's motion to expand file |
| 11/12/2020 | Appeal | Download | Plaintiff's appeal of the file expansion decision |
| 11/26/2020 | Not Available | Download | State Attorney's motion to dismiss the Long Term Strategy for 2050 claims |
| 12/15/2020 | Not Available | Download | Plaintiff's motion agreeing to drop 2050 strategy claims |
| 12/15/2020 | Complaint | Download | No summary available. |