NEW DELHI: In a development that could have enormous global consequences for climate justice, the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday began hearing a legal challenge six youth from Portugal have mounted against 32 countries over climate inaction.
The petitioners, between the age of 11 and 24 years, have sued France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, the UK among other nations, saying their governments have “ruined childhoods” by way of inadequate climate change responses.
Triggered by the 2017 wildfires in Portugal that caused large-scale death and devastation, the petitioners are arguing that inaction of respondent states has rendered their right to life, prohibition of inhuman treatment and right to privacy and family life ineffective and void.
Backed by the Global Legal Action Network, a non-profit that works on human rights issues, the youth have presented evidence that policies adopted by 32 nations will not yield to emission cuts sufficient to halt the current pace of extreme climate events. Europe’s top most human rights court has admitted the unprecedented case a first where so many national governments have had to defend themselves over climate inaction.
The representatives for petitioners have said that the current policy trajectory being followed by respondents would actually cause global temperatures to rise to 3 degree Celsius this century, in violation of goals agreed upon by governments earlier. Under the Paris Agreement, nations have committed to limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius this century.
The respondent states challenged the case on grounds of jurisdiction, admissibility and technicalities. If successful, the judgment will legally bind 32 nations to accelerate climate action besides strengthening the hands of people in other countries who wish to sue the governments over climate.