Greenpeace Italy, ReCommon, and twelve citizens launched the country’s first climate lawsuit against ENI, accusing the company and Italian public authorities of worsening climate change and ignoring scientific warnings. In July 2025, the Court of Cassation ruled that Italian courts can hold ENI accountable for its global climate impacts, paving the way for a major trial with international attention. This case could set a precedent in Southern Europe and highlights the growing role of legal actions in pushing fossil fuel companies to address the climate crisis.
About the grievances
Greenpeace Italy, the non-governmental organization ReCommon, and twelve citizens launched a lawsuit against energy giant ENI. The complaint, filed before the Civil Court of Rome, not only targeted the oil company. In fact, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and the state-owned Cassa Depositi e Prestiti were also accused of supporting ENI’s fossil fuel model.
The plaintiffs accuse ENI of having contributed massively to climate change and of failing to align its strategy with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, despite repeated scientific warnings. They are asking the court to compel ENI to drastically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions rather than continue investing in oil and gas expansion
The lawsuit highlights evidence that ENI was aware, since the 1970s, of the dangers posed by rising CO₂ emissions to the climate, based on internal studies produced at the time. The claimants invoke the protection of fundamental rights (health, life, a healthy environment) guaranteed by the Italian Constitution and international law.
A complicated legal path
Hearings began at the Rome Civil Court in February 2024. A central question soon emerged:
Can Italian civil courts hold a national company accountable for all of its global operations, including those of foreign subsidiaries, which account for the majority of ENI’s emissions?
In June 2024, Greenpeace and ReCommon asked for the trial to be suspended and the issue to be referred to Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, for a decision on jurisdiction.
The Key Decision of the Court of Cassation
On July 21, 2025, the Court of Cassation issued a landmark ruling: Italian civil courts can judge ENI for the entirety of its climate impacts, even beyond national borders.
This decision carries far-reaching implications. It confirms that Italian courts may hold a national corporation accountable for its global climate responsibility. It also reflects an international trend in which courts are increasingly called upon to enforce climate commitments, as seen in the Netherlands with the Shell case in 2021.
For Greenpeace and ReCommon, this marks a major victory, strengthening the legitimacy of their action and clearing the way for a full trial on the merits.
Next Steps: Towards the Resumption of the Trial
On July 31, 2025, ENI requested that proceedings resume before the civil Court of Rome. The company stated it wanted the case to now be examined in court, signaling that a long and highly publicized legal battle lies ahead.
The trial will now move into its central phase and determine whether ENI can be legally compelled to cut its emissions and whether the Italian state, as a shareholder, bears part of the responsibility.
The case will now return to the Civil Court of Rome for examination on the merits.
A Case with International Resonance
As climate-related disasters intensify across Southern Europe, the Greenpeace vs. ENI lawsuit highlights a growing global trend : using the judiciary as a tool to confront the fossil fuel industry. Whether this case will lead to concrete emission reductions remains to be seen, but the legal precedent it could establish is already significant.
For further informations:
- Eni-Greenpeace/Recommon Case: Eni requests the resumption of litigation
- Greenpeace hails Italian court ruling allowing climate case against energy company Eni to continue
