{"id":16715,"date":"2018-05-25T15:18:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-25T15:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=16715"},"modified":"2021-12-01T13:51:49","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T12:51:49","slug":"four-climate-cases-are-changing-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/story\/16715\/four-climate-cases-are-changing-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"These four climate cases are changing how we can tackle climate change"},"content":{"rendered":"

What do lavender farmers in France, beekeepers in Portugal, Romanian shepherds, Kenyan school children, Swedish reindeer herders and islanders in Germany and Fiji have in common? <\/span>They’re demanding climate justice, now<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"People

Greenpeace Nordic and Nature and Youth take on the Norwegian government in court for opening up new areas in the Arctic to oil drilling.<\/p><\/div>\n

With the support of <\/span>Climate Action Network Europe<\/span><\/a>, families in Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, Romania, Kenya and Fiji along with Indigenous S\u00e1mi youth from Sweden have just <\/span>launched<\/span><\/a> a lawsuit against the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union over its weak ambition in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the member states. These people know that they are particularly vulnerable to climate change. They know it because their lives are already affected by it. <\/span><\/p>\n

They see the EU emissions reduction target as falling embarrassingly <\/span>short<\/span><\/a> of the EU\u2019s own requirements and international law. They need the courts to realise — as they\u2019ve realised — that weak targets mean the EU is failing to protect fundamental rights to life, health, occupation and property. They are demanding that EU emissions reduction targets be bold and ambitious and the courts could help make that happen.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Court of Justice of the European Union will decide on whether or not they will accept the \u00a0lawsuit. Like people all over the world who are taking polluters and governments to court on behalf of a healthy planet, they are placing their trust in the EU justice system and hope that the court will step in to protect their rights. They demand that the EU accelerate its action to protect their rights and to live up to its self-proclaimed role as a global leader on climate action.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A legal victory is by no means certain. The main obstacle they face is whether the European Court will even hear the case. In challenges to legislative acts, the families would have to show how the impacts of climate change are affecting them individually in ways that other people do not suffer, whether it be the unique context of where they live or how they make a living, for example. <\/span><\/p>\n

The courageous people filing this lawsuit are part of a <\/span>growing movement<\/span><\/a> all over the world<\/span> that is using the justice system to hold their governments accountable. While we wait for the European Court\u2019s response, here are three of many examples of people using the power of law to achieve climate justice across Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Eemshaven

Representatives of several NGO’s and hundreds of supporters demonstrate in Groningen against the Essent\/RWE coal plant in the Eemshaven.<\/p><\/div>\n