The claimants had highlighted the City of London’s role in supporting 15% of global carbon emissions and the estimate that FTSE100 companies are driving the world towards 4˚C warming – genocide for the younger generations and the global South.
They had detailed past, present and predicted impacts on themselves and their families arising from the Government’s policies.
The panel of judges, which included the UK judge, Tim Eike, failed to provide any reasoning in support of their decision beyond a statement that the case “did not disclose any appearance of a violation of the rights and freedoms set out in the (Human Rights) Convention”.
Tim Crosland, Director of Plan B, said:
“The European Court of Human Rights knows that the climate and ecological crisis, forged in the economies of Britain and Europe, is the ultimate threat to human rights and life on earth. Yet, all too predictably, it has prioritised short-term political expediency over its fundamental purpose. It has made no attempt to explain to the young claimants in this case why their lives and their families do not count.
“At least it’s now clear that these courts are irrelevant to the meaningful pursuit of justice.”
