The law and climate: the view of the courts

In May Justice Bromberg of the Federal Court described climate change as the greatest inter-generational injustice ever inflicted by one generation of humans upon the next. In a class action brought by school age youngsters against the Minister for the Environment over Whitehaven Coal the court declared the minister had a duty to avoid a degradation in the conditions of life caused by carbon emissions.

In Germany legal action from environmentalists persuaded the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe to reject as inadequate the country’s current statutory framework on climate. In Holland climate action before the courts resulted in a wholesale re-writing of government programmes on climate.

How are arguments about climate being treated in Australian jurisdictions? What are the limitations? How quickly might things develop? Is it setting the pace for governments and corporations?

Please join our expert panel on August 25 at 6pm as we explore the law and climate as part of this UTS4climate webinar series.