STRASBOURG, France — Europe’s highest human rights court has started its session Tuesday on a group of landmark climate change cases aimed at forcing countries to meet international obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Although activists have had successes with lawsuits in domestic proceedings, this will be the first time an international court has ruled on climate change. The decisions have “the potential to be a watershed moment in the global fight for a livable future. A victory for any of the three cases would be one of the most significant developments on climate change since the signing of the Paris Agreement” said Gerry Liston, a lawyer with the Global Legal Action Network, which is supporting the Portuguese students.
Such considerations were not predominantly on the mind of 16-year-old André dos Santos Oliveira of Portugal.