Australia’s Environment Minister Doesn’t Have to Care About the Kids, Court Rules

An Australian federal court recently ruled that the country's Federal Environment Minister does not have a duty of care to protect young people from climate change.

A group of eight young activists and a nun won a class action against the Environment Minister on behalf of all Australian children. They argued that the minister owes Australian children a duty of care when considering fossil fuel projects.

The group of teens applied for an injunction to stop the minister from approving the extension of the coal mine. The teens argued that the coal mine expansion could release 100 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Australia's greenhouse gas emissions amount to 20% of the country's, which would make their futures more unstable.

The duty of caring for the future of young people in the country shouldn't be imposed on the environment minister according to federal judges.

The new ruling doesn't change the science. Anj Sharma, a teen activist, said that it doesn't put out the fires or drain the floods. The class action against Ley was led by Sharma.

Young climate activists have taken their governments to court in the past. Last year, Germany's highest court sided with young activists who sued to challenge the country's climate law. The Australian government was sued by a college student in 2020 for not telling investors about the risks of climate change.

Less than a month after the country's eastern coast was ravaged by floods that killed more than 20 people and displaced thousands, a recent ruling in Australia. Climate change has made the fires worse. More than 30 people were killed and more than 3 billion animals were displaced by Australia's 2020 fires.

The minister said in front of the courthouse that it would not deter them in their fight for a safe future.