Camila Martínez

Chilean environmental lawyer leading climate litigation against fossil fuel companies

Camila Martínez is a groundbreaking environmental attorney from Chile whose legal strategies have redefined climate accountability. Born in 1985, she co-founded Earthjustice Chile in 2016, becoming the first law firm in Latin America specializing in climate litigation. Her landmark 2018 case against the HidroAysén dam project halted construction of five hydroelectric dams threatening Patagonia's ecosystems, setting a precedent for environmental impact assessments in Chile.

Martínez pioneered the "climate duty of care" concept in 2020, arguing that governments have a legal responsibility to protect citizens from climate harms. This approach was central to her 2021 victory in Quinteros Basin case, where a court ordered the Chilean government to remediate toxic waste sites contributing to climate vulnerability. She also represents Indigenous Mapuche communities in cases against fossil fuel corporations, linking environmental racism to climate injustice.

Her work inspired the Oxford Human Rights Hub's global legal framework for climate accountability. Martínez teaches international environmental law at the University of Chile and advises the UNDP on climate litigation strategies. She was named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in 2022 for her "judicial creativity in addressing planetary emergencies."