Climate change litigation has rapidly emerged as a pivotal tool in bridging gaps between climate policy, law, and environmental justice. This review examines how lawsuits driven by citizens, communities, and NGOs are influencing climate governance and advancing environmental justice principles. We synthesize global trends showing a sharp increase in climate-related cases – from under 900 in 2017 to over 2,000 by 2022 and more than 3,000 by mid-2025 – reflecting growing judicial engagement in climate issues We discuss how claimants, including youth, indigenous groups, and vulnerable communities, are leveraging human rights and constitutional claims to hold governments and corporations accountable for climate action (or inaction), thereby framing climate change as an issue of justice and equity. Key judicial interventions in cases from the Netherlands, Pakistan, the United States, and other jurisdictions illustrate courts ordering stronger mitigation targets, enforcing existing climate laws, and recognizing the rights of future generations. The review identifies emerging patterns: the use of litigation to inform policy and prevent backsliding, the rise of corporate climate accountability suits, and the growing presence of climate cases in the Global South. It also highlights how litigation outcomes are shaping policy – for instance, by compelling governments to revise climate plans – and the lessons these trends offer for achieving environmental justice. While climate litigation is no panacea and faces challenges (such as standing, causation, and enforcement of judgments), it has become an influential avenue for advancing climate ambition, integrating climate science into legal decisions, and giving voice to those most affected by the climate crisis.

Keywords: Climate Change Litigation, Environmental Justice, Climate Policy, Human Rights, Judicial Intervention, Climate Governance, Climate Accountability, Climate Change Law.