Classification of Climate Disputes from the Perspective of International Law

The increasing variety of legal relationships in the climate sphere, as well as the specific nature of legal regulation in this area, inevitably leads to disputes between the parties involved - climate disputes. The significant variability of climate disputes across different jurisdictions, on the one hand, makes this type of judicial disputes complex and multifaceted, and on the other hand, demonstrates the practical significance of their legal analysis. In Russia, climate justice has not yet gained widespread recognition, but there are objective prerequisites for an increase in the number of climate-related cases in our country. Furthemore, decisions of international judicial bodies on climate cases affecting Russia’s interests are of high interest. In this regard, one of the basic issues in conducting a legal analysis of climate disputes is their classification, i.e., their distribution into certain groups (classes/types) based on distinctive characteristics. Systematizing various types of climate disputes and classifying them makes it possible not only to more clearly define the specifics of this category of legal disputes, but also to identify certain patterns and problematic issues in such court cases, and to find the most effective solutions. The article examines the concept of a climate dispute (claim) and provides data on the intensive growth in the number of climate cases in judicial practice worldwide in recent years (to carry out the classification, it is necessary to first define the subject of analysis). The significance of the international legal basis of climate disputes is separately substantiated, and a brief review of approaches to classification in foreign and Russian literature is presented. The main part of the article reveals the classification criteria proposed by the author, with an emphasis on international legal aspects. In conclusion, the results of the research are summarized, and it is concluded that within the framework of accounting for and classifying climate disputes, the effictiveness of legal analysis (and, as a consequence, law enforcement practice) increases significantly. Modern practice of climate justice is largely formed through the evolutionary interpretation of international legal norms. By analysing climate disputes according to various criteria, stakeholders better understand the prospects for resolving a newly emerged dispute.