Research on the Record

The document outlines the critical role of scientific research in climate litigation, emphasizing how experts can help hold corporations and governments accountable for climate damages and disinformation. It identifies key research priorities—such as attribution science and the study of climate obstruction—and provides actionable ways for scientists to engage, including serving as expert witnesses, contributing to amicus briefs, and designing research specifically relevant to legal proceedings. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) Science Hub for Climate Litigation is presented as a central resource to bridge the gap between the scientific community and legal practitioners.

• Climate litigation is an expanding field that allows for accountability when legislative or regulatory efforts fail. Between 2015 and 2021, more than 1,000 cases were filed worldwide.
• Scientific research is essential for the success of climate lawsuits, particularly in establishing causal links between specific carbon emissions and climate damage, as well as identifying corporate disinformation campaigns used to delay climate action.
• There are specific high-priority research areas needed for litigation, including the quantification of adaptation costs and damages, modeling decarbonization, and understanding emission obligations related to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and treaty obligations.
• Scientists can support legal processes through several distinct roles: conducting litigation-relevant research, providing expert testimony in court, and informing courts via legal interventions such as amicus briefs.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2023). Research on the Record. https://www.ucs.org/resources/research-record

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Research on the Record. 2023. https://www.ucs.org/resources/research-record.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Research on the Record |date=21 March 2023 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/research-record |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2023research, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Research on the Record}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/research-record}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }