Young Portuguese people who filed a complaint against 32 countries, including Portugal, for failing to act on global warming heard a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on Tuesday.
The case “Duarte Agostinho and others v. Portugal and other states” knows its outcome.
Speaking to Lusa on Monday, Sofia and Andre Oliveira, two of the young men who filed the complaint, refuse to give up even if the outcome is unfavorable.
“One thing is for sure: we will not stop, no matter the result. We will not stop to force governments to protect our future from climate change. If we win, we know that this movement will unite to put pressure on governments to implement the ECHR Decision,” two young people told Lusa.
And even if the victory is only partial, Sofia and Andre, 16 and 19, want to “encourage people” to participate in a movement that wants to work toward a “future for everyone.”
Jerry Liston, a lawyer involved in the case, acknowledged that a favorable outcome would “strengthen” the climate change movement by setting a legal precedent for when lawsuits arise over government inaction.
“There is an exponential increase in climate change-related litigation. After that, it will take the efforts of all participants in this movement, civil society, activists on the ground, to put pressure on governments to implement the decision that we are waiting for. The law and efforts outside the courts are mutually reinforcing,” added the lawyer, who belongs to the non-profit organization Global Legal Action Network.
On September 27 last year, six young people were heard at the ECHR, which then found that states had devalued climate change and ignored evidence.
Taking legal action against countries’ inaction on climate change is becoming increasingly common, according to a recent UN report that found the number of cases has more than doubled in five years.
The announcement of the decision at a public hearing in Strasbourg (France) is scheduled for 10:30 local time (9:30 Lisbon time).
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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