Six young activists devote years to climate fight with 32 governments. Now comes their day in court

By BARRY HATTON and HELENA ALVES
Associated Press

COSTA DA CAPARICA, Portugal (AP) — Six Portuguese children and young adults are set to take 32 European governments to court Wednesday for what they say is a failure to adequately address human-caused climate change in a violation of their human rights. It’s the first climate change case to be filed with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. Victory could compel governments to radically recalibrate their climate policies and significantly slash planet-warming emissions. The court’s rulings are legally binding and failure to comply makes countries liable for hefty fines. It’s the latest instance of young people sidestepping politics and using the courts to hold governments to account on climate action. One survey says there have been over 2,000 climate related cases filed globally.