NGO Urgenda´s lawsuit against the Dutch State was prepared and executed with the utmost professionalism; the ruling of the Supreme Court on December 20, 2019, was truly historical, world news, and has inspired NGOs in other countries to do the same….
In Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Ireland, Germany, France, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Switzerland cases have been brought against the State or companies.
The judges ruled that government plans to cut emissions by just 14-17% compared to 1990 levels by 2020 were unlawful, given the scale of the threat posed by climate change.
As one climate campaigner put it: “There are moments in history when only courts can address overwhelming problems. In the past, it has been issues like discrimination. Climate change is our overwhelming problem and this court has addressed it. The Dutch court’s ruling should encourage courts around the world to tackle climate change now.”