European court says young people’s climate case to be examined by top-tier panel

Activists want to hold European governments accountable for their allegedly inadequate efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions (Alamy/PA)

The European Court of Human Rights has said that a complaint against 33 countries filed by six young Portuguese climate activists will be examined by the tribunal’s top panel of judges, a move reflecting the case’s legal significance.

The activists, three of whom are minors, turned to the court almost two years ago in an effort to hold European governments accountable for their allegedly inadequate efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.