Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation by Charlie Holt, the head of the Global Climate Legal Defense and who also sits in the Steering Committee of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe.
In today’s episode, we are delving into the otherside of corporate greenwashing, moving away from how governments regulate corporations against greenwashing and towards how corporations also sometimes use legal tools against activists, journalists, and organisations fighting for environmental justice. These lawsuits are called SLAPPs, which stand for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. But it is also quite an apt term that perfectly captures the impact of these lawsuits. SLAPPs are increasingly used by corporations and other powerful actors to intimidate and silence opposition and critics, raising some serious concerns about free speech, public interest advocacy, and corporate accountability.