Court orders 33 European nations to respond to climate change complaint

The court was asked to hold countries accountable for their allegedly inadequate efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions (PA)

The European Court of Human Rights is requiring a prompt response from 33 countries, including the UK, to an ambitious climate change case brought by six young Portuguese people, a move that activists said gave heart to their cause.

The court ordered the European countries to respond to the complaint and granted it priority status because of the “importance and urgency of the issues raised”.