The “virtually ineffective climate protection law of 2011” violates these children’s rights and, due to serious shortcomings, does not lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It is not able to protect the children from the life-threatening consequences of the climate crisis. The children and young people argue that this makes it unconstitutional. They are represented by the lawyer Michaela Krömer before the Constitutional Court, Fridays For Future (FFF) and the association CLAW – Initiative for Climate Law organize and support the lawsuit.
“We children and young people no longer want to watch politics build up our future. We go to court because, like our parents, we children have the right to a world in which we can live safely and happily. Children’s rights and the constitution are on our side,” said 14-year-old Smilla. “Because the climate protection law remains ineffective to this day, twelve children are now going to court and Fridays For Future is supporting them,” said FFF activist Michael Spiekermann.
Children’s rights in the constitution
“In Austria, children have their own, very special constitutional rights. These rights unequivocally state that the well-being of children must also be protected in terms of intergenerational justice. Children therefore have a right to active protection against the consequences of the climate crisis. A climate protection law that no Knowing reduction targets and obligations violates these constitutional rights. The current sham climate protection makes the climate crisis a child crisis,” argued Krömer.
In other countries, too, children and young people have already gone to court for climate protection. Now it’s Austria’s turn. The activists believe that the strong anchoring of children’s rights in the constitution would increase the chances of success of the lawsuit.
On the occasion of the climate lawsuit, Greenpeace denounced the lack of protection for children due to lax climate protection. “The climate crisis is advancing mercilessly and is threatening the lives of thousands of children worldwide with ever more extreme natural disasters. Meanwhile, the state is watching idly instead of finally securing a future worth living for the little ones,” says Jasmin Duregger, climate and energy expert at Greenpeace in Austria .
