A lawsuit has been filed against the Austrian government by a dozen children who are demanding tougher action against climate change as a protection of their constitutional rights, the latest such litigation amid a growing tide of lawsuits against governments and companies worldwide.
The lawsuit was filed in Austria‘s top court on Tuesday where the children children as young as five years old, are seeking to force the government to take stronger climate action.
Michaela Kroemer, who is representing the children said the plaintiffs, aged five to 16 are not been protected enough from the life-threatening consequences of global warming by Austria’s climate law since 2011 and argued that the children’s right to “generational justice” that is guaranteed in the Austrian constitution is breached by the country’s climate law.
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Fridays for Future, a youth climate group which was inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, is backing the lawsuit that is also been financially supported through philanthropic donations, Ms Kroemer said.
Their lawsuit is one of the thousands filed against governments and companies in recent years with mixed results. Such litigation is increasingly centred around protecting human rights in the face of growing, multi-faceted impacts from the climate crisis and extreme weather events.
Their case was based on various reports by researchers which state that wealthier nations that have historically benefitted by emitting planet-heating greenhouse gases are not doing enough to mitigate the crisis.
Story was adapted from the Independent.
