“Unprecedented” youth climate trial demands action from 32 European governments

Enlarge / Firefighters tackle a wildfire at Vale de Abelha village in Macao, Portugal, on August 16, 2017. (credit: AFP Contributor / Contributor | AFP)

The largest climate case ever raised before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) kicked off Wednesday in Strasbourg, France, Reuters reported. It's an "unprecedented" effort from six young Portuguese people—ages 11 to 24—who allege that 32 European governments have failed to honor the Paris Agreement and mitigate climate change impacts, causing significant harms and violating their human rights.

Filed in 2020 after a devastating 2017 Portuguese wildfire that killed 120, the complaint alleged that inadequate state measures to reverse climate change have resulted in more frequent heatwaves and wildfires, increasing the risks of heat-related morbidity and fatal illnesses. The plaintiffs also argued that their rights to life, privacy, and family life are being violated, as well as their rights to a life free of discrimination. And because states are unlikely to act fast enough, they've alleged that any current risks are "set to increase significantly over the course of their lifetimes and will also affect any children they may have."

A victory in the ECHR could lead to a ruling forcing European governments to act faster to meet ambitious climate goals—likely by phasing out fossil fuels, reducing emissions, restricting companies from contributing to emissions released overseas, and limiting imports of goods produced by releasing emissions.