urgenda

Belgian Court Says Government Failure to Meet Climate Targets Violates Law

Belgian Court Says Government Failure to Meet Climate Targets Violates Law

A Belgian court ruled last week that in failing to meet its emission-reduction targets, the nation’s federal government, and three regional governments, violated Belgian civil law and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Youth Activists Win Historic German Climate Case

Youth Activists Win Historic German Climate Case

2019’s Federal Climate Change Act violates the fundamental rights of Germany’s youth population by “irreversibly offload[ing] major emission reduction burdens onto periods after 2030,” thereby saddling the young with responsibility for older generations’ emissions and environmental inaction.

Irish Supreme Court Delivers Second Landmark European Climate Decision

Irish Supreme Court Delivers Second Landmark European Climate Decision

On July 31st, Ireland’s Supreme Court held that the Irish government’s current climate plan failed to meet the requirements set out in the statutory Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act of 2015. The ruling will require the government to (a) revise its plan to realise greater near-term emission reductions, and (b) better specify how Ireland will achieve the Act’s long-term objective of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.