Young Canadians sue government over climate

A landmark climate trial has opened in Canada where 15 young people are challenging the federal government over its response to global warming. And the plaintiffs say climate change threatens their fundamental rights and are asking the courts to hold the government accountable for failing to protect their future. Now this case opened in a Vancouver court marking an important test of whether climate protection can be treated as a constitutional issue in Canada. The young plaintiffs, aged between 17 and 25, argue that successive governments have failed to do enough to address climate change, putting their rights to life and security at risk. Now, their lawyers say protecting people from climate threats should not depend only on changing political priorities. And the case comes as Canada faces increasingly destructive wildfires, flooding and extreme weather. One of the plaintiffs, 20-year-old Kira Young from the Northwest Territories, have said and told the court about a wildfire in August 2023 that forced her family to evacuate as flames and smoke approached their home. She said the experience left her terrified and strengthened her determination to fight for a safer future. Canada has set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. But the government has indicated that meeting the target could be difficult. The government lawyers argue that climate change is a global problem and requires global action and that a court cannot guarantee protection from its effects simply by imposing emissions emissions target. The case could have implications beyond Canada, as young people around the world increasingly turn to the courts to demand stronger climate action. And the central question is whether governments can be held legally accountable for protecting future generations from growing risks of climate change.