ASSOCIATED PRESS • September 25, 2023
Six Portuguese young adults and children between 11 and 24 years of age are due on Wednesday at the European Court of Human Rights, where they are accusing 32 European governments of violating their human rights for what they say is a failure to adequately address climate change. It's the first climate change case filed with the court and could compel action to significantly slash emissions and build cleaner infrastructure. Victory for them in Strasbourg would be a powerful instance of young people taking a legal route to force their governments to adopt a radical recalibration of their climate measures. The court's rulings are legally binding on member countries, and failure to comply makes authorities liable for hefty fines decided by the court. The courts are increasingly seen by activists as a way of sidestepping politics and holding governments to account. Last month, in a case brought by young environmental activists, a judge in the U.S. state of Montana ruled that state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development.