As media reports reported on Monday, the Australian Government has begun its legal challenge to a landmark Federal Court ruling that it has a duty of care to protect children from future injuries suffered from climate change.
In May Anjali Sharma, a 17-year-old of Indian origins from Melbourne, and seven other teenagers conservationists led the legal spat against the Australian government.
Sharma and the group had argued that the continued release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will fuel intense bushfires, floods, storms, and cyclones, leaving them vulnerable to injury, disease, loss of economic life, and even death, news.com.
They demanded the court stop an application from Environment Minister Sussan Ley to permit a proposal to expand the Vickery coal mine in northern New South Wales.
“We will proudly defend the historic choice that all Australian kids have a duty of care and an obligation from the government to protect my generation from the mounting risks of climate change,” Sharma was quoted in an Associated Press statement.
The ruling has been hailed as a notable victory for the teens and group of global climate activists.
The prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, earlier this week confirmed he will attend a climate conference in Glasgow next month but his government counterparts are yet to agree on a commitment to net zero.
Her defence lawyers have also argued that duty of care is “violative of the law” and is distorting her ability as a minister.
This is a huge win for the whole climate movement. A big congratulations to the brave Australian teenagers who have achieved this. Of course the action needed is still nowhere in sight, but these court cases are symbolic breaking points that could have huge snowball effects. https://t.co/Cjgz2O0fMU
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) May 27, 2021
