Greta Thunberg and 15 other young people from 12 different countries have filed a human rights lawsuit against five countries for not using their resources “to prevent the deadly and foreseeable consequences” of the climate crisis following the Climate Action Summit.
As reported by CNN, the complaint evokes the Convention on the Rights of the Child, a 30-year-old human rights treaty that’s the most widely ratified in history.
The lawsuit targets Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey, stating that the countries have made “inadequate” pledges to reduce emissions per the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. The U.S. and China — the two biggest contributors to global CO2 emissions — were not included in their list because they have agreed to hear complaints against them. It is also because neither the U.S. nor China have ratified the part of the Convention on the Rights of the Child treaty that allows children to seek justice.
The filing includes statements on how their rights have been violated, and how the may not have a future if the climate crisis worsens. Thunberg and the other youths have not asked for monetary compensation — just that the countries take immediate action to reduce their carbon emissions.
The potentially world-changing lawsuit announcement followed Thunberg’s speech before the UN’s Climate Action Summit in New York where she told the leaders:
“You are failing us, but young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you. And if you choose to fail us, I say: We will never forgive you. We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”
It’s estimated that last week’s Climate Strike, which took place in 150 countries across the nation, was the biggest global warming rally in history. Over 1,700 people, mostly youths, turned up at Hong Lim Park for the Singapore portion of the rally despite the haze.
