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This case study details a petition filed by eight Torres Strait Islanders and six children against the Australian government to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, alleging that Australia's failure to address climate change violated their fundamental human rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

This case study describes a decision by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on April 15, 2021, which upheld a Punjab provincial government notification banning the construction or expansion of cement plants in environmentally fragile "Negative Areas."

A case study on the legal challenge Neubauer et al. v. Germany, in which the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany ruled that parts of the Federal Climate Protection Act were incompatible with fundamental rights because they failed to specify sufficient emission cuts beyond 2030.

A case study detailing the legal action brought by four NGOs against the French government for failing to implement sufficient measures to address climate change, resulting in a court order for immediate corrective action.

This case study details a legal challenge by the Escarpment Environmental Protection Group (EEPOG) and the Langkloof Environmental Committee against the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs and WERM Mining (Pty) Ltd. The appellants sought to set aside a water use licence issued for the Langkloof Colliery in Mpumalanga, arguing that the licence was granted without inviting comments from interested parties as required by the National Water Act 36 of 1998. The Water Tribunal dismissed the appeal, ruling that the appellants lacked locus standi (legal standing) because they did not fall within the specific class of persons entitled to appeal under section 148(1) of the National Water Act.

The case of City of Cape Town v Maccsand (Pty) Ltd and Others (2010) establishes that mining activities in South Africa are subject to concurrent jurisdiction across national, provincial, and local government spheres. The court ruled that the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) does not override local land use planning laws or national environmental legislation, requiring mining operators to obtain authorizations from multiple regulatory frameworks.

This case study examines the legal dispute between the Sanwild Wildlife Trust and Maranda Mining Co (Pty) Ltd regarding the right of access to land for mining operations. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) addressed whether a mining rights holder's right to access land is contingent upon public participation and consultation processes under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002.

This case study examines the legal dispute between Van Eck and Clyde Brickfields (Pty) Ltd, focusing on the application of neighbour law and the principles of nuisance in a mining-related context. The court dismissed the applicants' request for interdicts to limit noise pollution, citing a lack of objective evidence and the fact that the applicants had 'come to the nuisance' in an area with established industrial use since 1972.

This case study examines a 1996 judgment by the Transvaal Provincial Division regarding the tax deductibility of expenditure incurred by Manganese Metal Company (Pty) Ltd for the construction of a dam wall used for toxic waste disposal.

This case study analyzes the 1997 legal dispute LASCON PROPERTIES (PTY) LTD v WADEVILLE INVESTMENT CO (PTY) LTD & ANOTHER, which addressed liability for damages caused by the release of acidic mine water in breach of statutory regulations.

This case study examines the legal dispute between Meepo and Kotze regarding access to land for diamond prospecting under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act 28 of 2002 (MPRDA). The court focused on the timing and nature of consultation between prospecting rights holders and landowners, establishing that consultation must occur after a right is granted to balance the conflicting property and mineral rights of the parties.

This case study by Natural Justice details a legal action brought by 25 children and young adults against the Colombian government and 14 municipalities regarding deforestation in the Colombian Amazon. The Colombia Supreme Court ruled on April 5, 2018, recognizing the Colombian Amazon as a subject of rights and ordering the government to implement action plans to reach net-zero deforestation by 2020.

A case study on the legal challenge brought by NGOs against the Prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône and Total regarding the climate impacts of a biofuel refinery in France.

This case study describes the legal action brought by Ashgar Leghari, a Pakistani farmer, against the Government of Pakistan for failing to implement national climate change policies. The Lahore High Court ruled in 2015 that this failure violated citizens' fundamental rights, leading to the creation of a Climate Change Commission and a mandate for government ministries to appoint climate change point-persons.