PILnet’s Senior Legal Officer Laura Szűcs works on the environment and climate program. In this piece, Laura reflects on what it means to have Pro Bono at the Frontline of Climate Justice based on a recent event she attended in Strasbourg.
Climate change doesn’t affect everyone equally. Its heaviest impacts fall on communities that have done the least to cause it, and the people who stand up to defend those communities often face serious consequences for doing so. Threats, surveillance, harassment, and abusive legal action are part of the reality for many environmental defenders across Europe today. Legal professionals have always had a role in safeguarding communities in vulnerable situations, and in the current climate crises, this role is more indispensable than ever to ensure protection and access to justice for those safeguarding our natural environment.
What We Heard in Strasbourg
On June 3-4, 2026, I attended the first European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders in Strasbourg, a gathering organized by the Council of Europe, UN Human Rights, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, and Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention.
Over those two days, I listened as defenders from across Europe and Central Asia shared the personal costs of their work. Some were driven by deep cultural ties to their land, while others simply felt a duty to act. My biggest takeaway wasn’t a specific policy recommendation; it was the profound value of creating a safe space where these defenders could feel genuinely heard by policymakers and civil society. Participants emphasized the principle of “not leaving anyone behind” as a powerful strategy against the threats and harassment often leaving defenders feeling isolated and alone. To this end, solidarity must go beyond the courtroom and should encompass the creation of platforms offering holistic support.
However, the experience was also sobering. I heard firsthand accounts of the threats, surveillance, and legal attacks used to exhaust and silence those on the frontline. It became clear to me that while protective laws often exist on paper, there is a critical gap in the practical, on-the-ground legal and psychological support these individuals need to continue their mission-driven work.
To bridge this gap, ten key messages were formulated and shared to policymakers present on the second day on the most pressing issues and needs of European Environment Human Rights Defenders. You can read them here.
SLAPPs: Using the Law to Silence People
One of the most common tools used against defenders is also one of the most insidious: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), which are tactical tools of attrition rather than legitimate legal disputes. Journalists, activists, community groups, and NGOs all find themselves on the receiving end of these suits for simply doing their jobs: reporting, campaigning, speaking out. The European EHRDs Forum once again emphasized the importance of the role of the legal profession in this regard to bridge the gap between legal theory and the reality of defender safety and access to justice.
This is why we at PILnet are proud to be part of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE), a group of organizations from across the continent working to push back. Through CASE, we help maintain resources for people facing legal intimidation, contribute to research on how these tactics are being used, and connect defenders with pro bono lawyers who can help.
What Pro Bono Can Change
For environmental defenders and the organizations supporting them, the gap in access to legal support can be the difference between being able to continue their work and being forced to stop.
Pro bono, when done well and directed thoughtfully, can genuinely shift what’s possible for communities navigating climate harm and for the people fighting in their corner. That’s what drives us to keep connecting legal professionals with the civil society organizations who need them most. You can read more about our work in climate justice, access free resources, and engage with what we have been doing by visiting this webpage.