Archive · 29 Aug 2026
CJI Surya Kant Warns Climate Transition Must Not Deepen Injustice
Justice Surya Kant said countries should not all be expected to make the clean-energy switch in exactly the same way.
Some developing countries are still building their economies.
Wealthier countries became strong after using coal and oil for a long time.
The CJI said climate change and the move to cleaner energy can both affect countries and communities unfairly.
Mining minerals for clean technology can also harm people and nature.
Small farmers and fishing communities may lose land, water or harvests even though they contributed little to climate change.
He said courts can help protect these communities.
He also urged judges to work with scientists and policymakers and learn from courts in other Commonwealth countries.
Justice Surya Kant said clean-energy transitions must account for countries’ differing circumstances and distribute costs fairly.
He said developing nations are being urged to shift rapidly to renewables despite wealthier countries’ historical reliance on coal and oil.
The CJI warned that mining copper, cobalt and lithium could create new environmental hardships for local communities.
He highlighted the unequal climate risks faced by island states, delta communities, drought-hit regions, farmers and fishing communities.
Justice Kant called for judicial cooperation, scientific collaboration and stronger climate education as courts handle increasingly complex environmental disputes.
- Who
- Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant addressed the dialogue, discussing the effects on developing countries, vulnerable communities and courts.
- What
- He called for a fairer clean-energy transition and greater judicial cooperation on climate and environmental disputes.
- When
- The address was reported as taking place on Friday and was published on August 29, 2026.
- Where
- Marlborough House in London.
- Why
- Because climate vulnerability and the costs of shifting to clean energy are unequally distributed across countries and communities.
Developing Countries and Vulnerable Communities
Transition-Pushing Nations and Development Pressures
Responsibility for the transition
Developing Countries and Vulnerable Communities
Countries still industrialising should receive a fair distribution of the transition burden and should not bear disproportionate criticism for moving slowly toward renewable energy.
Transition-Pushing Nations and Development Pressures
Nations pressing for a rapid clean-energy shift are seeking an urgent response to climate change, although Justice Kant noted that many built their economic strength through two centuries of coal and oil use.
Mining for clean-energy minerals
Developing Countries and Vulnerable Communities
Communities where copper, cobalt and lithium are extracted should not face new environmental hardship in the pursuit of cleaner energy.
Transition-Pushing Nations and Development Pressures
The clean-energy transition requires these minerals, creating a tension between the urgency of decarbonisation and the environmental and social costs of extraction.
Development and environmental protection
Developing Countries and Vulnerable Communities
Courts must protect people facing loss of land, water and livelihoods and account for ecological survival.
Transition-Pushing Nations and Development Pressures
Courts are increasingly required to weigh developmental necessity against ecological survival, often without clear legislative guidance.
- Speaker
- Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant
- Event
- High-Level Commonwealth Policy Dialogue on Climate Justice
- Location
- Marlborough House, London
- Core concern
- Unequal vulnerability to climate change and unequal costs of the clean-energy transition
- Minerals mentioned
- Copper, cobalt and lithium
- Vulnerable groups
- Low-lying island states, flood-prone delta communities, drought-hit regions, small farmers and fishing communities
- Proposed response
- Judicial cooperation, collaboration with scientists and policymakers, and stronger climate education