Navigating Challenging Events Together

From natural disasters to a dismantling of the EPA to violence against citizens in Minneapolis and across the US, there have been no shortage of challenging events we’ve had to navigate together. And yet, even after such a disheartening season, hope persists: people across the country are hungry for solutions, tired of division, and ready to move from uncertainty to clarity, from impunity to accountability. I’m proud ClientEarth is a small part of that resurgence of hope.

Today, at the midpoint of what many have rightly called the critical decade, we are confronted by the truth that the world either gets on track to address the climate, biodiversity, and pollution crisis or locks in failure. The picture is mixed. Around the world, market distortions—especially those that misprice risk, externalize environmental costs, and reward short-term profit over planetary stability—continue to cause ecological harm. But these same economic systems can be reshaped. That is the purpose of our work.

The United States’ outsized role—both as a historical driver of environmental harm and as a nation with extraordinary potential to lead—underscores why ClientEarth USA is committed to corporate accountability. Our approach aims to shift financial flows and redirect corporate decision-making, using the full power of business law as a lever to ensure corporate incentives are aligned with long-term planetary and human well-being.

As we enter the fourth year of our U.S. programmatic work, I’ve been reflecting on the journey we’re on as an organization. 2024 was about finding our footing and setting our direction. 2025 was about building momentum and navigating complexity despite the setbacks facing the environmental movement and the country at large. 2026 is the year we truly hit our stride. The pace is quickening, the path is clearer, and the impact ahead is in focus. So let me highlight just a few of the many exciting things now underway:

Zombie Wells: We are thrilled to see our efforts in Colorado creating ripple effects in other states! Taken together, surviving the motion to dismiss and securing class certification have signaled to legal observers that the underlying legal theory is sound, similar cases are likely to proceed, plaintiffs will have the opportunity to be heard, and multiple pathways to corporate accountability and relief may now be possible. For example, the New Mexico Attorney General recently sued 15 companies for allegedly avoiding well plugging and cleanup obligations, and Los Angeles County filed suit against several oil and gas operators, including Chevron, for evading decommissioning responsibilities.

We are not only finding success in court, we are actively pursuing opportunities to demonstrate our thought leadership and expertise in catalyzing change by driving the conversation. An example of this is ClientEarth’s co-authorship of a report with the Environmental Advocacy Center of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, outlining the serious problem of zombie wells in Illinois. Ben Segal, ClientEarth attorney led the writing and research on the report. I hope you enjoy his personal reflections below.

Case Launch: While we are making system-changing progress on our zombie wells case, I am also thrilled to report that in just a few weeks, Thursday March 5^th at 9 AM PST / 12 PM EST to be exact – I and two of our attorneys will be hosting a virtual supporter briefing on a major case we will be filing. Please see below for the details and I hope you are able to tune in.

Thank you, as always, for joining us in bringing this work to life. None of our progress or impact would be possible without your support.

Gratefully,
Danielle, Executive Director, ClientEarth USA