The Montana state in US on Monday (local time) took the decision in the favour of people who alleged that the state had violated their right to a “clean and healthful” environment by promoting the use of fossil fuels, according to The Washington Post. Calling the Montana Environmental Policy Act’s provision unconstitutional, the court said that it harmed the state’s environment and the young plaintiffs by preventing Montana from considering the climate impacts of energy projects.
“This is a huge win for Montana, for youth, for democracy and for our climate,” said Julia Olson, the executive director of Our Children’s Trust, which brought the case. “More rulings like this will certainly come,” she added. The experts believe that this win could motivate the environmental movement and usher in a wave of cases aimed at advancing action on climate change, reported The Washington Post.
A total of 16 young Montanans, ranging from the age of 5 to 22, became the nation’s first constitutional and first youth-led climate lawsuit to go to trial. Those youths are elated by the decision, according to Our Children’s Trust. Sariel Sandoval, member of the Bitterroot Salish, Upper Pend d’Oreille and Diné Tribes, is one of 16 youth plaintiffs suing the state of Montana over its contributions to climate change.