India, Sept. 19 -- Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Saturday said that adjudication of climate disputes by courts should examine the cumulative harm caused to the environment rather than limit its scope to the isolated environmental injury caused by a project.

Speaking at the two-day National Green Tribunal International Conference, the CJI said that aspects of the environment cannot be limited to geographical spaces as the impact on the environment in one place has a cumulative impact on climate.

Stating the challenges that lie ahead for courts in the field of climate disputes, the CJI said, "A river does not experience pollution according to administrative boundaries. A forest does not understand the distinction between one ...