Today the District Court of the Hague found that climate litigation started in the Netherlands by Greenpeace Netherlands and eight inhabitants of Bonaire about climate justice for Bonaire can move forward on the substance. The case is directed against the lack of action by the State of the Netherlands to protect its inhabitants, and in particular those on Bonaire, against the grave present and future consequences of climate change (adaptation), and the shortcomings of the State’s efforts towards reducing CO2-emissions (mitigation).
Together with Michael Bacon’s team at Kennedy Van der Laan, Emiel Jurjens at Prakken d’Oliveira Human Rights Lawyers is representing the plaintiffs in this matter.
The verdict is available (in Dutch) here: Rechtbank Den Haag 25 september 2024, ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2024:14834
For more information on this matter, see:
- Greenpeace Netherlands, ‘Dutch citizens start lawsuit against the Netherlands over climate impacts on Caribbean island Bonaire’
- NOS 25 September 2024, ‘Greenpeace mag klimaatzaak Bonaire tegen Nederlandse staat doorzetten’ (in Dutch)
- Euronews 26 September 2024, '‘Chronically submerged’: Europe’s overseas territories are battling sea level rise' [new, 01-10-2024]
Source: photo © Marten van Dijl / Greenpeace
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