Option
Five young people, who are directly affected by the climate crisis, on June 21 at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Lawsuit against the Austrian and eleven other European governments brought in. The reason for the lawsuit is the protection of fossil fuels by the aforementioned Energy Charter Treaty.
The Parisian lawyer Clémentine Baldon represents the young plaintiffs: “With the Energy Charter Treaty, the defendant governments enable their companies to challenge legitimate climate protection measures of other countries. This is incompatible with international climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and violates the obligations of the European Convention on Human Rights.”
The lawsuit is the first to link the Energy Charter Treaty to the dramatic consequences for climate victims. If the lawsuit before the ECtHR is successful, the Court could declare that the states must remove obstacles to more climate protection – such as the ECT.
