Young Oregon Climate Activists Petition U.S. Supreme Court to Revive Lawsuit
Young climate activists from Oregon have turned to the U.S. Supreme Court in an effort to reinstate their longstanding lawsuit against the federal government, asserting their constitutional right to a life-sustaining climate.
The activists filed their petition on Thursday, urging the Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court’s rejection of their lawsuit earlier this year. The petition seeks to have the case sent back to federal court in Oregon for trial, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.
This significant case, initiated in 2015, involves 21 plaintiffs who were between 8 and 18 years old at the time of filing. The lawsuit has faced challenges from the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations, with government lawyers contending that it inappropriately attempts to dictate federal environmental and energy policies through judicial means rather than the political process.
In May, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, following a request from the Biden administration, instructed U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Eugene, Oregon, to dismiss the case.
Julia Olson, chief legal counsel at Our Children’s Trust, the nonprofit law firm representing the youth activists, stated, “Our petition to the Supreme Court is essential to correct this overreach by the Ninth Circuit and uphold the rule of law. Upholding these principles of fair process is vital for maintaining trust in our judicial system, regardless of what the Justices may think about the merits of the case.”
Notably, another climate lawsuit led by young plaintiffs saw success earlier this year when the Montana Supreme Court upheld a landmark ruling that mandates regulators to consider the impact of greenhouse gas emissions before granting permits for fossil fuel development.
Our Children’s Trust, the law firm advocating for the Oregon activists, has been involved in filing climate-related lawsuits in every state since 2010 on behalf of young plaintiffs.
