Climate litigation: landmark lawsuit seeks to hold an oil company liable for damages from the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
In October 2026, Brazil’s Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) and Instituto Preservar filed a public civil action seeking R$ 541 million in compensation for part of the damage associated with the 2024 floods.
The lawsuit advances a theory of proportional civil liability, connecting historical greenhouse gas emissions, climate attribution studies, and the need to establish a causal link between those emissions and the damage suffered.
In this carousel, we examine the lawsuit’s legal foundations, international precedents, and the key legal challenges that may shape the future of corporate climate liability in Brazil.
